Chapter Five: Sundanese Gamelan Salendro

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Chapter Five Sundanese Gamelan Salendro
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Sundanese (West Java)

• Second-largest ethnic group
• Language and culture Sundanese
• 15th Century Pajajaran vanquished by C. Javanese
  Majapahit

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Sundanese (West Java) (cont.)

• Aristocrats imitate Central Javanese court life
• Villagers imitate aristocrats
• Regional styles center is Bandung

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Sundanese Genres

• Primary gamelan types
• gamelan salendro
• small version of Central Javanese gamelan
• listening music, dance and theatre accompaniment
• degung
• Sundanese (formerly) aristocratic ensemble

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Sundanese Genres (cont.)

• Others
• tembang Sunda (sung poetry)

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Sinyur (gamelan salendro)

• sawilet (one wilet) vs. opat wilet (four wilet)
• same pillar pitches
• in opat wilet
• more time between pillar pitches
• vocalists sing in sorog

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Sinyur (gamelan salendro) (cont.)

• dance vs kliningan
• in sawilet section
• drummer follows movements of dancing puppet
• tempo varies according to puppet's movements
• in opat wilet section
• drummer is quiet, focus on vocalists
• tempo is steady

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Summary

• Gamelan salendro accompanies
• Dance
• Wayang
• Kliningan (singing with gamelan accompanimen

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Summary (cont.)

• Layers of
• History
• Instrumental functions (cycle / melody /
  elaboration / drumming)
• Musical scales/modes
• salendro plus sorog