Semara dana

Balinese gamelan - the next generation

by Andy Channing

 

Contents

Semara dana (1)

Historic gamelan (2)

Gamelan gong kebyar (3)

Gamelan semara dana (4)

Seleh Notes Volume 10 Number 2 March 2003

© Andy Channing

Gamelan semara dana is a new genre of Balinese music - a cross-fertilisation of gong kebyar style with older seven-tone music and modal techniques.

LSO's gamelan semara dana

The LSO's magnificent gamelan semara dana at the Jerwood Hall

Its development could well prove to be as revolutionary as that of gong kebyar in the early part of the 20th century.

Although semara dana is so new, its roots go back to the earliest forms of Balinese gamelan. To trace its ancestry we must follow two strands, one beginning with the ancient gamelan gambuh.

This has been used since the 15th century to accompany court dance theatre and is considered to be the ancestor of most forms of classical music, dance and drama of courtly origin in Bali.

Gambuh melodies are played on long suling underpinned by drums, punctuated by small gongs and diverse percussion instruments.

Despite the lack of metallophones, the principles of modern gamelan music are present, especially in the use of five-tone modes, called patutan, derived from the seven-note pelog scale.

Patutan

selisir 1 2 3   5 6  
tembung 1 2   4 5 6  
sunaren   2 3   5 6 7
baro   2 3 4   6 7
lebeng 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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