Williams-9-22-23-12

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Central Javanese Gamelan

LISTENING GUIDE 12.1

“Ketawang: Puspawarna” (“Kinds of Flowers”), performed by the Pura Paku Alaman gamelan ensemble in Yogyakarta, led by K.R.T. Wasitodipuro.

This piece is in the ketawang form, and its tuning is in sléndro pathet manyura , which is the Javanese way of specifying which pitches are important in this particular piece. This piece is the most pop ular of the ketawang form, and there are many video recordings of performances of it online by both Central Javanese people and foreigners. This piece is based on a poem written by Prince Mangkunegara (1853–1881) about different kinds of flowers. The lyrics mention the flowers as

metaphors for different types of women. This exact recording was part of the “golden record” that was sent into outer space in 1977 with the Voyager 1 spaceship, which is now in interstellar space. As you listen to this recording, try to follow the form. Remember that the balungan (main melody) is slow; it takes about half a minute to move from gong to gong. Listen for the kempul—the small hanging gong—as it sounds three-fourths of the way through each cycle.

Timing

Section

0:00

Introduction to the piece, played on a bowed instrument, ending with several sharp drum strokes and the first large gong

0:07

Balungan begins

0:22

Gong

0:46

Gong

0:55 PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Male chorus begins 1:13 Gong 1:41 Gong 2:08 Gong, end of male chorus 2:37 Gong 3:04 Gong 3:15 Male chorus begins again 3:32 Gong (begins to speed up at the end of the cycle, indicating that the end is coming) 3:59 Gong (begins to slow down again early on in the cycle) 4:32 Final gong, end of male chorus 4:44 End