| $16.21
new to stock as of
august 23rd, 2007
threads:
modern-composition
field-recordings
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| | arbiter (usa) #arbiter 2001 cd
world arbiter (united states) #arbiter 2001 cdcolin mcphee / benjamin britten “the roots of gamelan” compact disc - gong of belaluan (1928)
- pelégongan of kuta, directed by i wayan lotring (1928)
- gong of busungbiu (1928)
- gendér wayang of kuta, directed by i wayan lotring (1928)
- jangér group of abian timbul (1928)
- angklung of sidan (1928)
- colin mcphee’s gamelan transcriptions (1941)
| | 2001 the roots of gamelan
bali, 1928:
gong of belaluan;
pelegongan of kuta, directed by i wayan lotring;
gong of busungbiu;
gender wayang of kuta, directed by i wayan lotring;
janger group of abian timbul;
angklung of sidan;
new york, 1941:
colin mcphee's transcriptions:
colin mcphee & benjamin britten, duo pianists; georges barrere, flute
...
the roots of gamelan
these historic recordings were made in 1928 as part of a collection of the first and only commercially-released recordings of balinese music prior to world war ii. this diverse sampling of new and older balinese styles appeared on 78 rpm discs that same year, with subsequent releases for international distribution. the discs were sold world-wide (or not sold, as it happened) and quickly went out of print. it was a crucial time in the island's musical history, as bali was in the midst of an artistic revolution, with kebyar as the new dominant style of music. gamelan groups were having their older ceremonial orchestras melted down and reforged in the new style. intense competition between villages and regions stimulated young composers to develop impressive innovations and techniques.
andrew toth has written of these landmark recordings:
"representatives from these companies [odeon & beka] were sent in august of 1928 to extend their coverage to bali. five of the ninety-eight existing matrices (sides) made at that time were included by the well-known scholar erich m. von hornbostel in an early anthology of non-western traditions, music of the orient; this collection was the first exposure to indonesian music for many people, the public as well as potential ethnomusicologists.
"a third of the odeon/beka recordings appeared in europe and america, but the majority had been intended originally for local sale in bali. for this reason the information on the labels was printed in malay, the lingua franca of the archipelago, and in some cases even in balinese script. the ambitious plan to develop an indigenous market was a complete failure, however, since few balinese were interested in this new and expensive technology - especially when there was a world of live performances happening daily in the thousands of temples and households throughout the island. mcphee was the only customer to purchase these 78 rpm discs in an entire year from one frustrated dealer; his collection contains most of the copies that are still preserved to this day, for the agent later smashed the remaining stock in a fit of rage. (mcphee 1946: 72)
"fortunately the recordings were made under the guidance of walter spies, the painter, musician and long-time resident whose intimate knowledge of balinese culture was so freely given and so often benefited the work of others (rhodius 1964: 265; kunst 1974:24). although limited by the medium to being three-minute excerpts, they consequently are remarkable examples of a broad range of musical genres - vocal as well as instrumental - and many outstanding composers, performers and ensembles of the period who are now famous teachers of legendary clubs - i wayan lotring, i nyoman kaler, and the gamelan gong of pangkung, belaluan, and busungbiu. these invaluable sound documents of the musical and family heritage of the balinese include styles of vocal chant rarely heard today; kebyar ding, a historically important composition that has been relearned from the recordings by the present generation of musicians, whose fathers and grandfathers made the original discs; and records of renowned singers that are considered even sacred by their descendants, who keep tape copies in the family shrine.
"no new material was released in the west during the ensuing depression and war, while only reprints of the old 78's were issued on different labels and in several anthologies." (toth 1980: 16-17)
these are the discs the young canadian composer colin mcphee (1900-1964) heard in new york in 1929, when friends brought them back from java. on listening to the 1928 odeon recordings, mcphee was inspired to embark on his research in bali, which was to consume him for eight years and lead to a major work of scholarship, music in bali: it would dominate his musical ideas for the remainder of his life. |
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