University of Pittsburgh
Department of Music
presents
A Concert of
Sundanese Music and Dance
Andrew Weintraub, Director
Guest Artists:
Burhan Sukarma, suling virtuoso
Undang Sumarna, master drummer
Bellefield Auditorium
March 27, 1999
Introduction
The modern nation of Indonesia consists of about 13,000 islands (of which a few thousand are populated), the fourth largest population in the world, hundreds of ethnic groups, and nearly as many languages spoken. The cultural and musical diversity of this modern island community is staggering. The University of Pittsburgh gamelan ensemble plays the music of the Sundanese people of Java, Indonesia. Sunda is a geographical, historical, and cultural construct which signifies “home” for the Sundanese people. With the exception of Jakarta, the coastal plain to the north, and certain parts of Banten to the far west, Sunda comprises the majority of the Western third of the island of Java. The approximately 25-30 million Sundanese make up the second largest ethnic group in Indonesia. While the majority of the population live in rural or semi-rural settings, large cities have become increasingly central to the creation of new artistic genres. Bandung, the fourth largest city in Indonesia, is home to a large number of Sundanese musicians and professional groups. The national radio and television station, as well as many local radio stations, publishing houses, and the most prominent Sundanese music recording studios make Bandung the center for the mass mediation of Sundanese music.
Gamelan
Outside Indonesia, perhaps the most well-known musical ensemble type is gamelan. Gamelan refers to a set of predominantly percussion instruments including tuned gongs, metal-keyed instruments, and drums (as well as bowed lute and voice). Gamelan music is played as accompaniment to dance, drama, puppet theater, and martial arts, as well as for concerts of listening music. Gamelan is performed for special occasions and to mark important life cycle events.
Each gamelan has a unique tuning and character--instruments in one set are tuned to each other and are not interchangeable with instruments from other sets. Gamelan sets are often named to reflect their individual character. The University of Pittsburgh gamelan, which arrived in October, 1995, is named appropriately “Kyai Tirta Rukmi,” or “Venerable Rivers of Gold.” The gamelan is actually comprised of two sets of instruments, and each set is tuned to a different intervallic structure (laras). The set used in tonight’s concert is tuned to laras salendro, a five-tone tuning system made up of approximately equidistant intervals.
Each instrument is associated with one of four primary musical functions or roles, which contribute to the rich polyphonic layering or strata of sound (see diagram below). Instrumental functions include 1) structural melody (saron I and saron II), 2) elaboration (panerus, peking, bonang, rincik, and gambang), 3) punctuation (ketuk, kenong and goong) and 4) time-keeper (kendang). In vocal pieces, the instrumentalists play an accompaniment to the female vocalist (pasinden) and male vocalist (juru alok). The player of the two-stringed spike fiddle (rebab) reinforces the vocal line of the singer in a heterophonic manner.
Dance
In Sunda, the closest equivalent to the Central Javanese kraton (palaces) were the kabupaten (provincial government seats), which had neither the resources nor the influence to maintain, develop, and preserve dance traditions such as those of the Central Javanese kraton. Dance was performed in the kabupaten and patronized by the bupati (governors), but limited resources necessitated bringing artists in from the surrounding community to perform in the kabupaten. As a result, music and dance traditions were developed within artistic families rather than in the courts.
During the early twentieth century, influential dancers and choreographers participated in a “renaissance” of Sundanese music and dance. Their efforts to systematize and consolidate Sundanese forms, particularly within the city of Bandung, have continued to the present day. The dance “Lenyepan” presented in this evening’s concert is an example of a codified dance based on earlier, more informal models. Sundanese dance is performed at life-cycle celebrations, social events, and religious as well as civil holidays. Dance events are essentially communal and provide an opportunity to enjoy other activities as well.
Tembang Sunda
Tembang Sunda is a genre of Sundanese vocal music accompanied by a core ensemble of a kacapi (zither) and a suling (bamboo flute). Tembang means “song” or “poem.” The music and poetry of tembang Sunda are closely connected to the Priangan (literally “the abode of the gods”), the highland plateau that traverses the central and southern parts of West Java. The natural beauty of Priangan, a lush agricultural region surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, is reflected in many songs of tembang Sunda.
Tembang Sunda originated in the mid-19th century in the regency of Cianjur. During the Dutch colonial period, regencies were administrative and cultural centers where aristocratic performing arts flourished under the patronage of the regents. It is believed that R.A. Koesoemaningrat, the regent of Cianjur (1834-63), ordered poets to compose new songs based on the songs of an epic storytelling genre (pantun Sunda) in which a solo storyteller recounts the glory of past kingdoms and the exploits of heroic figures. Throughout the narrative, the performer interjects songs accompanied by a kacapi. The regent’s poets borrowed instrumental and vocal melodic patterns, poetic themes, and even certain lyric phrases from the songs of Pantun Sunda. Songs of this type, called papantunan (“in the style of pantun”), are sung in a free rhythmic declamatory style. The accompaniment for papantunan is sparse, and generally consists of ostinato patterns that center on the approximate interval of a fifth.
During the 1950s, fixed-meter songs, called panambih (literally “addition”), were added to the repertoire. The panambih repertoire includes adaptations of songs from other genres of Sundanese music, including gamelan salendro. For panambih, the metered accompaniment patterns are organized around the main tonal outline or “skeleton” (patokan) of a piece. Panambih are sung exclusively by female singers, or played in instrumental versions.
Tembang Sunda is best suited to intimate gatherings of fellow artists, friends, and aficionados. Most of these gatherings take place in the evening and sometimes last until early the next morning. These occasions provide the opportunity to express one’s feelings in song away from the din and rustle of everyday life. Tembang Sunda may also be played in conjunction with hajat, ceremonial feasts to celebrate a wedding, circumcision, or other life-cycle event. Additional performance contexts include concerts, music contests (pasanggiri), radio and television broadcasts (siaran), and larger public gatherings (panglawungan).
The University of Pittsburgh gamelan group is comprised of students. The participants in the gamelan program are encouraged to use Sundanese processes of learning as much as possible; oral transmission of musical parts is preferred over written notation. Students are also encouraged to learn and play more than one instrument and to learn the relationships among them. Therefore, in our concerts, the musicians move from one position to another in order to put into practice what they have learned. The University of Pittsburgh Music Department offers classes in gamelan and African music and dance as part of its program in Ethnomusicology.
Program
I. Tembang Sunda (Pelog Tuning System)
1. Jipang Karaton
“Jipang Karaton” is considered an appropriate opening piece because it allows the musicians to prepare patterns of elaboration associated with each of the five pitches in the pelog tuning system. “Jipang Karaton” functions on many levels as “preparation” -- a crucial transition that frames the minds of the audiences and the performers, so that they are ready to receive or deliver the performance, respectively.
2. Papatet--Rajamantri--Mupu Kembang--Dengkleung
This medley of pieces is often performed at the beginning of a performance. Before the first song “Papatet,” the singer urges the audience to “contemplate the nobles of Pajajaran” (Daweung menak Pajajaran). The kingdom of Pajajaran (1333-1579) is regarded by Sundanese today as the apotheosis of Sundanese power and autonomy. The first three papantunan songs in the set describe the glory of the past and provide a link to Sundanese ancestors. The next two songs have piece-specific instrumental sections (gelenyu) that precede the vocal part. The text for “Rajamantri” describes a man’s journey and his longing for home. While on his journey, he passes unfamiliar territory, takes the wrong road, and ends up far from home. “Mupu Kembang” (“Picking Flowers”) concerns the marriage of the princess Dewi Asri, a central female character in the pantun story Mundinglaya di Kusumah. After a short transition, the ensemble plays “Dengkleung,” a well-known Sundanese lullaby.
3. Budak Ceurik (instrumental)
A related instrumental genre, called Kacapi-Suling, features the improvisational skill and virtuosity of the suling player accompanied by kacapi. In "Budak Ceurik" ("The Child Cries"), the melodic phrases are contoured like the crying of a child.
4. Pangapungan--Bulan Tumanggal
Papantunan texts characteristically invoke powerful symbols of the past--specific places, historical figures, and especially, the natural environment. In the stories of pantun Sunda, legendary figures possessed knowledge of magical formulae which they used to perform supernatural feats. “Pangapungan” (“Flying”) is used in epic narrative recitation to depict a character flying, surveying events from the sky. A bridge leads to the panambih “Bulan Tumanggal” (“New Moon”), composed by Apung SW. Each verse begins with an introductory melody played on the suling and is followed by a solo vocal section and chorus. Under the light of the five-day-old moon and the glistening stars, the lovers meet as promised.
5. Panyileukan (instrumental)
In the genre Kacapi-Suling, the suling player uses the vocal melody as a basis for improvisation. However, the piece is more than an instrumental version of a vocal piece. The original melody may be extended, abbreviated, or changed altogether by infixing new material.
II. Gamelan Salendro
6. Renggong Gancang
Renggong gancang is one of the standard pieces in the gamelan salendro repertoire, used here to set a calm and peaceful mood. The main melody is played on a suling that Burhan Sukarma tuned specifically for the Pitt gamelan.
7. Sebrakan -- Kawitan (Murwa)
These two pieces are used at the beginning of a performance of Sundanese puppet theater (wayang golek). The puppeteer (dalang) chooses a musical piece for delivering the murwa, a standard narrative passage that opens every performance of Sundanese wayang golek. The murwa requests the blessings of ancestors and spirits, and asks forgiveness in case mistakes are made. Wayang golek audiences in general do not understand much of the text presented in the murwa because of the use of “archaic language.” They do, however, appreciate the melodic rendering of the sung text.
8. Dance: Lenyepan
All Sundanese dance genres share certain traits including the prominent drumming, manner of stepping, and graceful arm gestures. In dance music, the drummer accompanies the movements of the dance by playing corresponding sound patterns for each movement. This dance is in the style of Tari Keurseus (Codified Dance), an aristocratic form that was developed around 1920. Each dance represents a different character type. Tonight’s performance illustrates the character of a refined male.
Intermission
III. Tembang Sunda (Sorog Tuning System)
1. Kapati-pati--Eros--Panineungan
In a typical evening of tembang Sunda, three tuning systems are employed: pelog, sorog, and salendro. A tuning system is characterized by the intervals that comprise it; however, the pitches are not fixed or absolute. Each tuning system has its own repertory of songs and, to some extent, its own mood. An evening of tembang Sunda always begins in pelog. (approximately f, e, c, bb, a). At a certain point in a performance, the ensemble shifts to sorog. The kacapi players tune their instruments to sorog by tightening one of the strings in each octave, raising each pitch approximately a major second (approximately f, e, d, bb, a). Songs in the sorog tuning system are thought to express a heightened emotional quality and these songs are best sung around midnight.
2. Kingkilaban (instrumental)
The panambih song type allows for the most elaborate ornamentation. In this piece, the suling player incorporates pitches and entire melodic passages borrowed from other tuning systems.
3. Sekar Manis
“Sekar Manis” (“Sweet Flower”), composed by the famous female composer Ibu Saodah, evokes the fragrance of different kinds of flowers to describe the beauty of a princess.
IV. Gamelan Salendro
4. Baju Beureum
“Baju Beureum” (“The Red Dress”) is a song about the beauty and gracefulness of a girl in a red dress. Each section of the song is based on a standard underlying tonal framework played by the gamelan. This piece accompanies an informal social dance called Ketuk Tilu, in which couples dance together. Although there are standard movement patterns, the arrangement of movements is improvised. Audience members are encouraged to take part in this dance.
5. Tonggeret
“Tonggeret,” a kind of cricket in West Java, is named after the sound it makes. This song was the title track for one of the most popular commercial audio cassettes in West Java during the early 1980s. Interlocking parts between sets of instruments in the ensemble (saron I and saron II; bonang and rincik) add to the rich polyphonic texture that accompanies the song.
6. Rampak Kendang
This piece features the rhythmic patterns of the kendang, a set of three drums made up of one large drum and two small drums. These standard rhythmic patters are arranged and coordinated to create a feeling of excitement.
7. Kebo Jiro
The traditional ending piece for Sundanese gamelan music performances. In West Java, audiences have usually departed by the end of this piece. However, we invite you to come up on stage, take a closer look at the instruments, and meet the musicians.
Guest Artists
Burhan Sukarma is first and foremost a virtuoso on the suling (the Sundanese bamboo flute). His ability to make this simple instrument produce, soulful, expressive melodic lines that speak across cultural boundaries has earned him an international reputation. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was the principal suling soloist for the prestigious national radio station, RRI Bandung. Burhan has played on hundreds of Indonesian recordings, many of which have been distributed internationally. He has participated in tours to France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the United States. Burhan currently records for MTR and Jugala recording companies in Indonesia and Sakti Records in the U.S. Since 1987, he has taught at the University of Washington, San Jose State University, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Berkeley, while continuously directing Pusaka Sunda, a gamelan group comprised of American musicians based in San Jose.
Undang Sumarna is one of West Java's most accomplished musicians. He comes from a lineage of famous drummers and musicians. His grandfather and main teacher, Abah Kayat, helped to develop and crystallize a style of dance drumming during the 1950s which incorporated influences from the music of Central Java, Bali, Cirebon, and various Sundanese regional styles. Undang began studying drumming as a child and quickly developed into one of the most sought-after dance drummers in Bandung, West Java. Undang has taught at KOKAR (the high-school academy of music and dance) and ASTI (the college-level conservatory) in Indonesia, as well as UC Berkeley and UCLA. Since 1974 has taught Sundanese gamelan at UC Santa Cruz. Over the years he has introduced Sundanese music to thousands of American students. He has also toured throughout the United States, making Sundanese music accessible to American audiences.
The University of Pittsburgh Gamelan Musicians
Alexandria Ball
Matthew Bendel
Thomas Christopher
Lisa DiFilippo
Richard Easton
Kristin Hall
Jason Hardy
Benjamin Horner
Jonathan Morton
Nicholas Oscarsson
Heta Parikh
Lauren Patterson
Richard Pell
Christopher Peak
Alexei Plotnicov
Gabriel Simon
Andrew Weintraub
Please visit our website at http://www.pitt.edu/~gamelan
Acknowledgments
University of Pittsburgh Department of Music, Indonesian Student Organization (PERMIAS), Undang Sumarna, Burhan Sukarma, David Brodbeck, Dorothy Shallenberger, Paula Riemer, Marilyn Locker. This concert was co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program.