WOMAD

Javanese Wayang Kulit

From Indonesia

Gamelan is the music of Java, played on tuned percussion instruments such as metallophones (metal xylophones) and gongs ("gong" is in fact a Javanese word). There are many gongs in gamelan, each with its own function. This is a precise music: the stage position of each instrument corresponds to the role it takes. Those in the middle carry the central melody; those at the front elaborate on it; and the gongs at the back punctuate it. This is also a sound steeped in history, rooted in Buddhist and Hindu cultures. In Java, you can hear gamelan orchestras at religious festivals and marriage ceremonies and at the wayang kulit (all-night shadow puppet plays based on the stories of the Mahabharata). This style will be the basis of the Rivermead performance. Gamelan has percolated into Western culture through the work of composers such as John Cage and the guitarist Robert Fripp, whose eighties band, Discipline, echoed the styles and conventions of gamelan set within a rock framework. The 18-strong Gamelan Players has been the ensemble in residence at London's Royal Festival Hall since 1987. All the musicians have studied in Java and are well-versed in traditional styles, from the courtly and ceremonial music that reached its peak in the last century, through to the contemporary American sounds of composer Lou Harrison. They also played with Björk on her 'Unplugged' set for MTV at Rivermead. The Players will be joined by Slamet Gundono and Antonius Wahyudi Sutrisono (Dedek), two masters of the wayang kulit. The puppet master (dalang) controls the pace of the piece, with the musicians responding to his cues. The dalang is not just a performer but also a conductor and must have a sure knowledge of the music. Slamet Gundono is from a family of dalang. His work is experimental, pushing at the boundaries of the form, and he is recognised as a leading light of the modern wayang kulit. Dedek, 37, is also from a dalang family. He has studied gamelan since the age of 16 and his work has been performed across Asia and in the USA. He has taught gamelan in Seattle and works with both classical and contemporary Javanese choreographers.