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Music
Musical
traditions are as diverse as the population,
but the one musical expression best known
and most widely associated with the country
is probably the gamelan. A complete orchestra
may consists of as many as eight instruments,
the largest part comprising various types
and sizes of metal percussion instruments.
Drums,
a zither (celempung), a rebab two -stringed
upright lute, a flute and often a few other
instruments complete the ensemble. Although
there are variations known within each,
the gamelan orchestra is basically tuned
to two systems, the old pentatonic, slendro
and the younger seven-tone pelog, each producing,
its own mood and having its own uses in
the musical or the artical reportoire.
The
creations of moods or "color "
is further archived by the use of three
principal modes (pathet) within each turning
system. The most elaborates form of gamelan
is that of Central Java (Yogyakarta and
Surakarta). West java has its own gamelan
ensemble, usually simpler than the Javanese
with more stress on flute, drums and the
bonang family of horizontally placed kettle
gongs. But the most brilliant is that of
Bali, where sets of "male" and
"female" megalophones produce
that beautiful timbre associated with the
Balinese gamelan. In much more simple forms,
the "gamelan" is also known in
other islands of Indonesia, from the southern
Sumatra to Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
Bamboo
xylophones are used North Sulawesi and the
bamboo "angklung" instruments
of West Java are well known for their unique
tinkling notes that can be adapted to any
melody.
