About Gamelan Contd..

Ever since Debussy was first captivated by a Gamelan ensemble at the Paris Exposition in 1889, it's been clear to many western musicians that there is something unique and magical about this music. More recently Gamelan has influenced an entire generation of American minimalists, as well as many popular and electronic musicians and film composers. There are now many Gamelan ensembles across America and Europe.

The Balinese Gamelan we've sampled is called a Semara Dana, which is a relatively recent innovation designed to facilitate the playing of various music styles, from modern Gong Kebyar styles to classical 19th century Semar Pegulingan pieces. It includes 7 notes rather than the standard 5 found in most Kebyar ensembles. The Gamelan we sampled is resident at LSO St.Luke's in London. It was built in 2003 by I Made Gabeleran of Blahbatuh, Bali.

Back