Shadow Music of Java

Hardo Budoyo Ensemble Of Wono | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder Select
• ASIN: B0000003A7
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,561 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #44 in Music > World Music > Far East & Asia > Indonesia > General
  • #78 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Far East & Asia

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: World Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 19-MAR-1996

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The only good recording of Central Javanese gamelan.", July 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Shadow Music of Java (Audio CD)

Gamelan music is notoriously difficult to record because of its extraordinary dynamic and tonal range, and the delicate blending of timbres. Nearly all gamelan recordings currently on the market fall short of ideal.

An Indonesian music specialist recently called Shadow Music of Java, "The only good recording" of Central Javanese gamelan. I would add that Robert Brown's two Nonesuch LPs (also on CD, I think), "Court Music of Java," are equally good.

The ethnomusicologist producer (me) has performed Central Javanese gamelan music for decades, and the audio engineer (Paul Blakemore) was one of the leading recordists for NPR for many years. We spent three days getting the microphone placements exactly right, and used about $10,000 worth of audio equipment. Paul says it was the most difficult challenge of his career. Paul and I are proud of the result and pleased that the musical leader of the group, Pak Widiyanto, enthusiastically approved what he heard on tape.

I wrote the extensive notes in consultation with Widiyanto and other Javanese musicians and American ethnomusicologists.

The music is excerpts from *wayang*, the all-night shadow puppet drama, one of the great literary/dramatic/musical genres of the world. Half of the selections represent a pre- and post-wayang *klenengan*, or instrumental concert. The other half are self-contained instrumental, or vocal-instrumental pieces from a live wayang performance. The Wono Giri ensemble, led by *dalang* (puppeteer) Widiyanto, performed at the Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, where they were in residence for a couple of months. They perform on gamelan instruments on loan from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.