Beleganjur
Encyclopedia
Gamelan beleganjur is one of the most popular styles of gamelan
music in Bali
. Its closest Western analogue is probably the Western military band
.
, the original purpose of beleganjur was to accompany armies into battle and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. In fact, gamelan beleganjur literally means gamelan of walking warriors. Also like its Western counterpart, today beleganjur has mostly lost its association with warfare, and instead is associated with festivals, contests, and cremation ceremonies.
Although the origin of beleganjur is uncertain, it bears resemblance to the now rare gamelan gong bheri.
The drums and cymbals generally play interlocking patterns over the ostinato
of the gongan gong cycle.
Though bebatelan itself is rarely heard nowadays; its instrumentation forms the nucleus of the more complex modern ensemble: beleganjur bebonangan.
The additional beleganjur bebonangan ensemble instrumentation is:
The bonang are identical to the individual pots of the reyong
; in fact, many groups simply remove the pots from the frame of a reyong so they can double as bonang, and bonang are often referred to as reyong for this reason. The ponggang usually play a characteristic ostinato pattern while the bonang play more complex interlocking patterns known as kotekan
.
religious ceremonies of Bali. There are rites to appease evil spirits and honor good ones, temple festivals to celebrate the anniversary of a temple's dedication, and cremation
ceremonies to cleanse the souls of the deceased and prepare them for reincarnation. Though some ceremonies are associated with other specific kinds of gamelan, notably cremation ceremonies with gamelan angklung
, beleganjur is nevertheless ubiquitous and often takes the place of other kinds of gamelan if they are not available.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
music in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. Its closest Western analogue is probably the Western military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
.
History
Like the Western military bandMilitary band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
, the original purpose of beleganjur was to accompany armies into battle and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. In fact, gamelan beleganjur literally means gamelan of walking warriors. Also like its Western counterpart, today beleganjur has mostly lost its association with warfare, and instead is associated with festivals, contests, and cremation ceremonies.
Although the origin of beleganjur is uncertain, it bears resemblance to the now rare gamelan gong bheri.
Instrumentation
The most primitive beleganjur ensemble, known as bebatelan, consisted of only nine instruments:- One "great gong": gong agengGong agengThe gong ageng is . It is the largest of the bronze gongs in the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra...
- One secondary gong, with sunken boss instead of the usual raised one: bendé,
- Four pairs of cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s: (ceng-ceng) - Two differently tuned drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, considered male and female: kendangKendangKendhang is a two-headed drum used by peoples from Maritime Southeast Asia.... - One small hand-held gong that acts as a metronome: kempli, .
The drums and cymbals generally play interlocking patterns over the ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
of the gongan gong cycle.
Though bebatelan itself is rarely heard nowadays; its instrumentation forms the nucleus of the more complex modern ensemble: beleganjur bebonangan.
The additional beleganjur bebonangan ensemble instrumentation is:
- A second gong ageng, forming a male/female pair of gongs
- A medium-sized gong: kempur
- Four additional ceng-ceng to total eight
- Two tuned hand-held metal pot-gongs: ponggang
- Four similar but higher-pitched pot-gongs: bonangBonangThe bonang is a musical instrument used in the Javanese gamelan. It is a collection of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame , either one or two rows wide. All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened head, while the higher...
The bonang are identical to the individual pots of the reyong
Reyong
thumb|250px|The reongThe reyong is a musical instrument used in Balinese gamelan. It consists of a long row of metal gongs suspended on a frame. In gamelan gong kebyar, it is played by four players at once, each with two mallets....
; in fact, many groups simply remove the pots from the frame of a reyong so they can double as bonang, and bonang are often referred to as reyong for this reason. The ponggang usually play a characteristic ostinato pattern while the bonang play more complex interlocking patterns known as kotekan
Kotekan
Kotekan is a style of playing fast interlocking parts in most varieties of Balinese Gamelan music, including Gamelan gong kebyar, Gamelan angklung, Gamelan jegog and others. In kotekan there are two independent parts called polos and sangsih, each of which fills in the gaps of the other to form a...
.
Cultural role
Gamelan beleganjur is essential to the HinduHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religious ceremonies of Bali. There are rites to appease evil spirits and honor good ones, temple festivals to celebrate the anniversary of a temple's dedication, and cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
ceremonies to cleanse the souls of the deceased and prepare them for reincarnation. Though some ceremonies are associated with other specific kinds of gamelan, notably cremation ceremonies with gamelan angklung
Angklung
The Angklung is a musical instrument made of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held in one hand, whilst the other hand shakes the instrument rapidly. This causes a repeating note...
, beleganjur is nevertheless ubiquitous and often takes the place of other kinds of gamelan if they are not available.