Paragraph by Rahayu Supanggah, Jurusan Karawitan (review)

pdog 2 3 5 6 7 gambang E F G B C slendro D Ei F# A B gender 1 2 3 5 6 The piece presents a formidable challenge for the percussionist. The music itself is extremely difficult, but Forlin also had to learn to 'transpose' the staff notation onto the two instruments , each ofwhich has its own mallet and damping techniques. Forlin's ingenuity, dedication and virtuosity in learning and performing this piece amazed me, and I have alwaysenjoyed simply watching him play it: mallets flying (accurately) between the two instruments (he raises the gambangso that the keys are level with the gender ),and damping with everything from the mallets themselves to his elbows . My deep appreciation goes to both performers for their perseverance in learning this piece. The NtQn ;N (AI Het) is an important exculpatory Hebrew prayer said at selected times (Yom Kippur, one's own wedding, etc.), In many traditions the chest is pounded during this prayer as an act of contrition. ProgressiveJewish communities have often found the NtQn ;N (AI Het) to be an interesting place to rewrite the liturgy , apologizing for many aspects of our own participation in the inequities of modern life. It is more in this spirit than in one of traditionalJudaism that I used the prayer as the title and the form for the piece. As a text for the apology, I wrote a short poem in Spanish. I have always enjoyed literature written in an author's second language. Since gamelan itselfwas a kind of musical second language to me, I thoughtconsidering the title and the dedication of the piece-it would be important to write the text in the language of those to whom the apology was directed . Por no escuchar las voces, a los spiritos del futuro, las echas del cambio. Por el vivir acqui que no permite el vivir alia. Porjugar en el mar en vez de mirar a las estrellas. Por no manejar los barcos del cielo, como Ustedes, con las musica y la poetica. -Larry Polansky LarryPolansky is a composer, performer and theorist. He is thedirector ofFrog PeakMusic and is currently on thefaculty at DartmouthCollege, Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Note 1. Note that the pelog/slendro interrelationships may be different for each game1an. See Larry Polansky , "Notes on the Tuning ofThree Central Javanese Slendro/Pelog Pairs", Experimental Musical Instruments6, No.2, 1990. PARAGRAPH Rahayu Supanggah,Jurusan Karawitan, STSI Surakarta, Kentingan,Jebres, Surakarta, CentralJava, Indonesia 57126. COMPOSER'S STATEMENT For generations my ancestors were dhalang (shadow theater masters) and musicians, including my father and grandmother. Perhaps the arts are in my blood, even though when I was little I wasn't interested in the arts-I wanted to be an engineer. I heard gainelan at home every night (maybe that's why I could play gamelan and do the puppets a little). In my first year at the high school conservatory, I was chosen to represent Indonesia in a group that went to Japan, East Asia and Southeast Asia. That was when I realized that the artistic life might have its advantages and that it might be possible to make a living at it. After that I was serious about studying music, continuing through school to ASK!. In high school I played a lot, but didn't compose. I spent a lot of time playing with really good musicians . In the early 1970s, or maybe in 1969, we formed music groups outside of school. Mygroup was more experimental than the others. We mixed elements from Bali, Sunda and Java. We didn't follow the rules ofpathet (theJavanese modal system); we mixed in different tones and sometimes we added instruments that were not from the gamelan. I changed the usual order [ofsections]-the form, the pathet, the tuning and more. When I mixed in elements from Sunda and Bali, the pathetbecame very unclear. Sometimes it even sounded diatonic, like a Western melody. This was the embryo, the beginning of our experimentation . In retrospect, some of this work seems superficial. But to be innovative , this is what we have to do. At ASK!, I was never an assistant because I was branded a troublemaker. I...