Gamelan

A gamelan is a musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophone(s), drums, and gongs. Traditionally, the term "gamelan" is used to refer to either the set of instruments making up the ensemble, or the players of those instruments at any given time.

Influence on Western music

The gamelan has been appreciated by several western composers of classical music, most famously Claude Debussy who heard an ensemble play at the Paris Exposition of 1889 (World's fair). (The gamelan Debussy heard was in the near-diatonic madenda scale and was played by Sundanese musicians. Despite his enthusiasm, direct citations of gamelan scales, melodies, rhythms, or ensemble textures have not been located in any of Debussy's own compositions). Direct homages to gamelan music are to be found in works for western instruments by Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, Colin McPhee and Benjamin Britten. In more recent times, American composers such as Barbara Benary, Lou Harrison, Dennis Murphy, Michael Tenzer, Evan Ziporyn, Daniel James Wolf and Jody Diamond as well as Australian composers such as Peter Sculthorpe, Andrew Schultz and Ross Edwards have written several works with parts for gamelan instruments or full gamelan ensembles. I Nyoman Windha is among contemporary Indonesian composers that have written compositions using western instruments along with Gamelan. Experimental pop group Xiu Xiu uses Gamelan percussion in many songs.

Related Topics:
Composer - Classical music - Claude Debussy - World's fair - Béla Bartók - Olivier Messiaen - Colin McPhee - Benjamin Britten - American - Barbara Benary - Lou Harrison - Dennis Murphy - Michael Tenzer - Evan Ziporyn - Daniel James Wolf - Jody Diamond - Australia - Peter Sculthorpe - Andrew Schultz - Ross Edwards - I Nyoman Windha - Xiu Xiu

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