Customer Reviews

Royal Music

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What can I say??? This album recorded by Jacques Brunet on Cambodian music from the Royal Court before 1975 is a very rare treat indeed. The recording and the quality of the music makes it the best so far apart from all the other music that I have heard from previous purchases on Cambodian music. Some of the genres of music like Pey Keo in track three I have never heard before and I have only known that it was performed during the ceremony of All Soul Day during late September to early October.

This is wonderful to hear music from the ancient courts of centuries ago recorded before the war actually destroyed what was left of Cambodia. With centuries of creation came four years of Cambodia's cultural destruction. I enjoyed this music very much and it was rare for me to hear a 28 minute track from the Royal Pinpeat orchestra on Buong Suong "Paying respects to the Heavenly Deities" performed during Cambodia New Year to ask for rain from the gods and goddess. The second part of the piece was an excerpt from Robam or Roeung Moni Mekhala the battle between the Giant or Ogre (Storm Spirit) and Moni Mekhala (Water Goddess). In legend it was said that the battle between the crystal ball and the battle axe sparked lightning and thunder in the heavens. Thus this dance was performed to induce the rains when the land was dry. The vocals and the instrumentation was excellent and it also featured Em Theay and many other vocalist at their best. The musicians showed great skills in their playing techinque and I like it very much.

Mohori music with it's title "Hong Meas" the Sacred Golden Bird or Hamsa = Goose was a wonderful track with wonderful vocals and the timbre from each of the instruments are of the best quality. Track 3 was Pey Keo with it's very bizzare buzzing sound of the pey-orh a folk shawm which sounded like a kazoo and the mellow sounds of the khong-vong thom (gong chime) and tro khmer (three stringed spiked fiddle) as well as the unique booming of the drums. The fourth track was funeral or martial arts music... the sound was somewhat strange and yet almost like something from the Middle East or from India for sure especially from the oboe playing a mellow and haunting tune and the tempo increased which sounded like a dance piece from the Reamker (Ramayana) the final scene where Rama meets Ravana in a sign of strength and good over evil. This piece can also be found in Robam Tep Monorom (Dance of the Heavenly Gods and Goddesses)with their graceful moves and martial arts repertories. The sounds of the very traditional phleng khmer (wedding orchestra) sounded like music from a lost era that was only to be replaced by the mohori like orchestra. I've heard this type of orchestra in remote areas while I was in Cambodia. The last track was a takhe (three stringed zither) solo and it was pretty sharp and crisp. This has to be the best so far. What can get any better than this???

Overall the music is something worth while and I know that some pieces are sacred while others can be played during certain times of the year. Jacques Brunet took great care in choosing these music and writing out the liner notes as well as taking the photos for the cover of this cd. It shows that his great skills and expertise help create and save music that was nearly extinct if it wasn't for his works. Anyone who wants to hear an ancient side to the Khmer court go for it.