sound talk

El Condor Pasa

Here is a version of “El Condor Pasa” sung by the famous tenor  Plácido Domingo.

Andean Folkloric Ensembles

I really enjoyed listening to this weeks musical examples of the Andes. The guitar like instrument produces a warm sound throughout,  and thus the entire tone of the piece conveys that delightful and happy feel. I think that the ultimate reason it was so pleasant sounding to my ear is due to the harmonies played. They are major and  as a “westerner”, they were familiar sounding. Besides providing the harmonies, the guitar is also used as a rhythmic instrument. It is the basic steady pulse that sets the pace of the song. The other rhythm instruments being the second guitar and the drum/bomb seem to be played around the original guitar strumming, which began the song . The flute/panpipes carries the melody of the song, which is a repetitive and continuous note series. The end is fairly predictable, as the guitar picks up volume and speed, bringing it to a louder and exciting conclusion. The second song is slightly more somber. The harmonies often lean towards minor chords and the tempo is slower. When the flute melody is played against the repeating bass pattern, it produces a modal sound. The harmonic progressions undergo some modulations, changing the repetitive quality of the piece. The rhythm is syncopated throughout, yet the syncopation is not completely obvious. I had  to tune in to the rhythm beat to truly notice this syncopation.  The various sounds were fairly contrasting, yet I think that in both cases, the music meshed well and the interlocking and instrumentation complemented each other to produce overall the most satisfying sound.  

Nhemamusasa (at bira)

The first thing that came to my mind upon hearing this piece was dance. With the fast paced tempo and the immediate upbeat  effect the voice and rhythm created, I could imagine this music being played for some kind of festivity or communal celebratory gathering. The music has alot of movement, in the sense that the rhythm is constant and continuous and keeps the piece moving forward due to a steady pulse. I could imagine different people joining in to sing, as the voices through out vary between men and women, with different yells, words and melodies sung. I’m not sure, but I did notice that the male voice was the prominent one  singing the assumed “melody” of this song. The possible women voices are used more as added effects here and there, reminding the listener that there are several people involved in the creation of this music. Near the later part of the song, corophones are used, as clapping becomes and integral rhythmic instrument. The instrumentation of this piece seems to be some kind of maraca and perhaps a marimba/xylophone type of instrument. The voice lines sounded improvised, yet the notes sung did follow a pattern as the same notes were used throughout the improvisation…(perhaps a specific scale outlines the melodic structure?) I could not really anticipate the ending of the piece, all I picked up on was a repeating melody in a new voice line as it faded out.   

Gamelan Beleganjur

Gamelan beleganjur is a Balinese style of gamelan that differs from other Indonesian gong ensembles. There are many similarities, yet contrasting elements can be noted between the Balinese gamelan and others.

Gamelan beleganjur is played during ceremonies. Examples of these ceremonies are cremations and temple anniversaries. Both processional forms, cremations consist of women and men carrying specific tools for the ceremonial succession; the women with the offerings and the men holding the cremation tower. The music is played during the procession and in some cases, the added angklung rattle is incorporated into the sound. Temple anniversaries are powerful processions, where the music heard is quite prominent and strong throughout. In this case, the men play the instruments. The younger men play pajeng while the older ones play gamelan beleganjur.

            Knowing the purpose of these processionals has much to do with a large aspect differentiating gamelan beleganjur from other gamelan styles; the portable element. The instrument set up of Balinese gamelan is arranged in ways to be carried for processional purposes. As the website states “All of the instruments are portable, borrowed from the much larger stationary ensemble called gamelan gong kebyar, or occasionally from gamelan angklung. The heavy gongs are strung up on poles; the drums are carried on a strap around the neck; and the rack of kettle gongs is divided up so that each kettle gong is carried and played by one musician.” Javanese gamelan, on the other hand, are highly sacred. They are safely stowed away, and those who play them understand and follow the proper seating, playing, etc. rules in order to show respect upon the instruments.

            Musical and rhythmic differences are also apparent while playing Balinese gamelan. Balinese gamelan is played according to a cycle of eight beats. The female gong commences on beat eight as the male gong plays on the fourth beat. As these gongs play, a smaller gong strikes the beats in between. As seen in other gamelan styles, such as Indonesian, several kettle gongs are played simultaneously, whereas Balinese gamelan kettle gongs are at most, played two at a time. Cymbal rhythm in gamelan beleganjur is called kotekan, which possesses a religious meaning. This form of cymbal rhythm is not present in other forms of gamelan. In all, Balinese gamelan proves itself to be a unique gamelan style when compared to others due to the instruments used, the rhythmic and playing methods and the circumstances/environments it is played in. 

Ladrang Wilujeng Vs. Bubaran Kembang Pacar

Usually, while listening to these examples, I find it a challenge to truly understand the mood they convey. Part of this reason could be lack of knowledge on my part in understand their proper meanings and instrumentations. In these examples however, it was easier. Perhaps it was certain musical techniques used in the songs that increased the emotional level. In “Wilujeng,” the sound evolved into a new piece. Starting off with a whiny sounding string instrument, the main melody was introduced. Soon after this, a voice was heard. The voice and string instrument sounded quite similar, making the transition a smooth one. As the song progressed, I felt the energy build due to one main technique, being the texture, which in this case were the added voices. In my opinion, the multiple voices shifted the mood of the song making it sound almost like a chorus work. The melody sung, was also now proven to be a popular one that was not improvised, as clearly, several (multipled singers) knew the tune. I would assume that the “softness” of this piece is its lack of loud percussion type instruments, as they only provided a steady background layer throughout the piece. This differs from “Bubaran Kembang Pacar.” First of all, there is no voice in these selected works. I found “Kembang Pacar” hesitant in the beginning. Anticipating the “loud style” of it, I was expecting a more obnoxious sounding and noisy display of percussive tones and sounds. However, the gongs, xylophone and steel type instruments sounded more drifty and hazy, lacking sharpness and clarity. The piece increases speed near the end only to slow down before finishing. Because of the tempo changes, this was the first time I really anticipated the ending of one of these works. It was “louder style” as it echoed more, and it was simply more percussive in comparison to “Wilujeng” because of the differences of instruments used (voice vs. gongs etc.) Is it possible to compare the moods conveyed through these pieces even with their obvious differences of instruments?

Journal 3. “Sidi” “Urang Halaban” “Minangkabau”

“Sidi” starts off as a rhythmic collage of different timbres and steady beats, and is completely changed with the introduction of a strange sounding instrument. This instrument has a whiny aspect to it, and it plays the role of the possible voice in this piece. It does not necessarily relate to the rhythm behind it, yet it is obviously an important layer as it is quite prominent and loud compared to the other sounds throughout. The notes being played by it sound improvised which could possibly mean that it is a religious song of some sort that changes each time like a prayer or chant does. I can imagine “Sidi” being played for the specific purpose of the use of the unknown instrument, as it could represent something within a community. “Urang Halaban” is a catchy tune. It is fast paced and rhythmic and extremely repetitive. Upon my first listen, I was able to quickly recognize the pattern of it. There is a lot of repeated chromaticism, which could possibly be considered the more melodic sound of the percussive instruments. I could picture some sort of communal or ceremonial dance taking place to this.  “Minangkabau” has a less polished sound to it compared to “Sidi” and “Urang Halaban.” Part of the reason for this could be other instruments used (and perhaps the people playing them?) The instruments produce longer resonances as they have a bell like tone quality. I found that the various pitches in this excerpt were quite significant. It was pleasant to listen to, because the pitches and timbres of the percussion complimented each other giving the piece a fuller sound. The melody itself reminded me of a children’s tune because of the major key and simple melodic pattern. The overall mood of this song seemed positive, happy and hopeful and I could see it being used in a social celebratory context (perhaps religious) bringing a community together through a common song everyone knows.

Journal 2. Adhan (Call to Prayer)

Prayers truly remain a mystery to me upon deconstructing the musical significance and elements to them. The example Adhan is a beautiful prayer, and listening to it made me wish I could understand exactly what the man was saying. After hearing the Adhan, my views changed about assuming it was music. To me, the emotion, power and message of the prayer are the primary elements and focus. In terms of analyzing musical aspects of it, there is no necessary pattern of the melody, and much of it is melismatic (many notes sung to one syllable.) The spaces of silence throughout could represent a time of reflection upon the text just sung, as the silences have a large impact. Once again, my attention was focused on the sentiment portrayed during the prayer, and I could appreciate, through the tone of voice, the sacred significance and “calling” component of this prayer.

Protected: The Index. The Twinkle.

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