Angklung (by I Wayan Lotring)

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Angklung (by I Wayan Lotring)
Teges Semar Pegulingan,
Peliatan, Gianyar, Bali
probably recorded late 1970s/early 1980s
This is the same ensemble heard on the great Nonesuch Explorer “Gamelan of the Love God” album, the same immediately recognizable instruments, which were in fact ‘commissioned’ by Canadian composer Colin McPhee during his stay in Bali in the 1930s. He asked that they be tuned in imitation of central Javanese set he’d heard on a recent visit, there is no other Balinese set even remotely like them. McPhee gave the instruments to the Peliatan village court, but for various arcane reasons I never really understood they ended up one village over, in Teges. I believe technically Peliatan still owns them…
This gending - not included in the Nonesuch recording - is a short masterpiece by Wayan Lotring; my guess is that the title refers not to Balinese Gamelan Angklung but to the idiomatic rhythmic figures played on the bamboo angklung instrument, which isn’t actually used in Gamelan Angklung anymore! Overall the piece is a fantastic example of Lotring’s melodic style, a long, glorious and (mostly) through composed tune, adding and subtracting beats somewhat willfully, with a celebratory groove at the end. I have a sentimental attachment to this one: it was one of the first pieces taught to me by Madé Lebah in 1981. Sound quality is not terrific (the Nonesuch recordings are much cleaner, needless to say), but the mic-ing is actually great, everything is in perfect balance albeit with some distortion here and there. The problem was likely with the tape reproduction facilities rather than the recording itself…and perhaps the distortion will itself feel nostalgic - it’s what recorded gamelan generally sounded like in Bali at that time.
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Ini Gong Semara Pagulingan Skaa Gunung Jati banjar Teges Kanginan Peliatan,

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Ini Judul Lagu Musik Angklung

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Ini bukan angklung, tapi semar pegulingan...!!!

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Baca description bli

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Judul tabuhnya angklungan bli