Title: Music in Bali : experiencing music, expressing culture /
Authors: Gold, Lisa
Publisher: Oxford University Press,
Year: 2005
Subjects: Music Indonesia Bali Island History and criticism.; Gamelan music.; Balinese (Indonesian people) Music.; Music Indonesia Bali Island; Balinese (Indonesian people) Social life and customs.; Balinese (Indonesian people) Social life and customs.
Abstract: Music in Bali introduces the ensemble tradition of Balinese music, reflecting cooperative aspects of the island's social organization. Drawing on many years of study with Balinese performers in the United States and extensive fieldwork in Bali, author Lisa Gold presents contemporary Balinese performance within its cultural and historical context, linking Bali's rich past to its current role in modern, globalized society. She illustrates how new compositions borrow material from earlier traditions while also allowing for individual expression and innovation in vibrant present-day culture. By describing various performances--from a temple ceremony, to a shadow puppet performance, to a masked dance drama--Music in Bali surveys a wide range of performance contexts, from the highly sacred to the secular. It looks at the interconnected layers of the Balinese musical tradition, showing how the island's music, dance, theater, and ritual are intertwined. Music in Bali is enhanced by eyewitness accounts of local performances, interviews with key performers, and vivid illustrations. Packaged with a 70-minute CD containing examples of the music discussed in the book, it features guided listening and hands-on activities that encourage readers to engage actively and critically with the music [Publisher description]
Contents: The Balinese ceremonial soundscape: simultaneity of soundings -- Instruments: materials, tuning and timbre -- Interlocking and layering: musical roles in the ensemble -- The world of stories: integration of music, dance, and drama in traditional Balinese theater -- Characterization, movement and gong structures that enliven Balinese theater -- Large-scale form in gong kebyar and its antecedents -- Conclusion: three themes revisited at a cremation ceremony.