Music of Death and New Creation
Experiences in the World of Balinese Gamelan Beleganjur
407 pages
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17 halftones, 32 musical examples, 8 tables, 1 compact disc
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6 x 9
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© 1999
For centuries the gamelan beleganjur percussion orchestra has been an indispensable part of political, social, and spiritual life on the island of Bali. Traditionally associated with warfare and rituals for the dead, the music has recently given rise to an exciting new musical style featured in contests that are attended by thousands. Ethnomusicologist Michael Bakan draws us into these intensely competitive events, in which political corruption, conflicting notions of identity, and irrepressible creativity rupture the smooth surface of cultural order.
Building from his own experiences as a beleganjur drummer, Bakan also takes us inside a distant musical world and into the lives of musicians connecting across vast cultural divides. Rich with musical examples, photographs, and an accompanying compact disc, Music of Death and New Creation is an unprecedented exploration of how music embodies and shapes life in contemporary Indonesia and beyond.
Building from his own experiences as a beleganjur drummer, Bakan also takes us inside a distant musical world and into the lives of musicians connecting across vast cultural divides. Rich with musical examples, photographs, and an accompanying compact disc, Music of Death and New Creation is an unprecedented exploration of how music embodies and shapes life in contemporary Indonesia and beyond.
"The book is an important addition to the ethnomusicological canon, as challenging as it is informative and as vibrant as the music it discusses. Its appeal to gamelan devotees will be obvious, but it also stakes a claim to advance the theory of ethnomusicology in its broadest sense."--Neil Sorrell, World of Music
"This book covers new ground in its approach and focus, and is accessible to area as well as non-area specialists in ethnomusicology and anthropology. The disparate topics, together with transcriptions and CD, leave the reader with a rich patchwork of many facets of the complex and often contradictory contemporary beleganjur scene."--Lisa Gold, Ethnomusicology
"Bakan includes beautifully clear transcriptions, analyses, carefully selected recordings (on the accompanying CD), and vivid descriptions of performances. . . . Through all, Bakan applies his considerable observational powers to enable the reader to relate closely to not only the music, but also the changing aesthetics of the style of the music, the subtleties of interpersonal relationships among performers, and the impact of new social settings, such as the introduction of women's ensembles."--Roderic Knight, Choice
"This is a detailed, well-written, and wonderful book. . . . Anyone interested in music, cross-cultural fieldwork, cultural change, and adaptation will find this book well worth reading."--James Chopyak, Religious Studies Review
"the book is a wonderful read both for its deep descriptions of beleganjur and for its reflexive gaze. . . . a richly rewarding experience."--David Harnish, Yearbook of Traditional Music
"The text is meticulously researched, expansively written, and wonderfully revealing. On one hand, Bakan has elevated gamelan beleganjur to the level of the much better known gong kebyar, and his explication of the music is unmatched. On the other, he takes readers into the world of his own encounters with Bali and his teachers. The latter approach is the real gift of this book, as Bakan succeeds in realizing his call for a more reflexive, people-centered ethnomusicological study."--David Harnish, Notes
Choice Outstanding Titles (2000)
"The community of Balinists, gamelan players and ethnomusicologists will wecome these studies as the most significant publications on Balinese music in almost half a century, each a leader in its field."--Neil Sorrell, Times Higher Education Supplement (UK) on Michael B. Bakan's Music of Death and New Creation and Michael Tenzer's Gamelan Gong Keybar
Contents
List of Plates, Figures, and Musical Examples
Musical Excerpts on the Compact Disc
Acknowledgments
Note
Part One: Awit-Awit
Introduction
Part Two: Kawitan
1. The Gamelan Beleganjur in Traditional Balinese Musical Life
2. Lomba Beleganjur: The Modern Competitive Context
3. Kreasi Beleganjur: The Contest Musical Style
4. Two Musicians: I Ketut Sukarata, I Ketut Gedé Asnawa
Part Three: Pengawak
5. The High Stakes of Competition
6. Agendas of Gender
Part Four: Pengecet
Introduction to the Pengecet
7. Learning to Play: Balinese Experiences
8. Learning to Play: An Ethnomusicologist's Experiences
9. Playing to Learn: Toward New Understandings
Notes
Glossary
Selected Beleganjur Discography (Annotated)
Bibliography
Index
Musical Excerpts on the Compact Disc
Acknowledgments
Note
Part One: Awit-Awit
Introduction
Part Two: Kawitan
1. The Gamelan Beleganjur in Traditional Balinese Musical Life
2. Lomba Beleganjur: The Modern Competitive Context
3. Kreasi Beleganjur: The Contest Musical Style
4. Two Musicians: I Ketut Sukarata, I Ketut Gedé Asnawa
Part Three: Pengawak
5. The High Stakes of Competition
6. Agendas of Gender
Part Four: Pengecet
Introduction to the Pengecet
7. Learning to Play: Balinese Experiences
8. Learning to Play: An Ethnomusicologist's Experiences
9. Playing to Learn: Toward New Understandings
Notes
Glossary
Selected Beleganjur Discography (Annotated)
Bibliography
Index
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