The Fall of Dasamuka
An Episode from The Ramayana in English
An Indonesian Shadow Puppet Show accompanied by Javanese Gamelan Orchestra
In this traditional Indonesian shadow puppet show the puppeteer manipulates flat,
carved leather puppets behind a screen. The puppets move, dance and fight. They tell
tales of morality and the triumph of good over evil.
The Fall of Dasamuka is the story of the end of
Dasamuka’s reign as the King of Alengka. The story
starts with a flashback when Dasamuka’s younger
brothers advise him to return Dewi Sinta to her husband,
Prince Rama. She has been abducted by Dasamuka and
imprisoned for years in his palace. Dasamuka refuses to
listen to his brothers.
Prince Rama is determined to win back his wife. With the
help of Hanoman, the monkey king, and his younger
brother, Laksmana, Prince Rama attacks Alengka. Sinta
pleads with Dasamuka to return her to Prince Rama but
he refuses. A great battle follows. In spite of his great
powers and immortality, Dasamuka is overthrown.
The puppeteer, Drs Eddy Pursubaryanto, will come from Java, Indonesia, especially for
this performance. Permai, the Gamelan Orchestra, is from Melbourne. It performs on
Javanese tuned percussion instruments; metallophones, hanging and horizontal gongs,
and drums.
Gamelan music is a style of music coming from Indonesia. The form in this
performance originates from central Java. The Gamelan is a set of instruments which
have been tuned to be played together, instruments from one set are usually not
interchangeable with instruments from another set. It features a variety of instruments
such as metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and
plucked strings, and vocalists may also be included. A set of instruments is tuned either
in Slendro (five evenly spaced notes to the Octave) or Pelog (seven unevenly spaced
notes to the Octave) The Gamelan being played at this performance is tuned in slendro.
The music is made up of interlocking layers. Each layer is played by a different
instrument. The layers are usually based on a core melody called a balungan. The music
is divided into four beat sets called a gatra, and the gongs are used to mark the cycles of
music known as a gongan. Gamelan music is traditionally played at important cultural
celebrations and to accompany shadow puppet performances.
This gamelan consists of
•
•
•
•
•
metallophones, called sarons, gendér, slenthem. (sets of metals bars laid out in a
single row and struck with a small mallet)
cradled gong chimes called bonang and kenong, kethuk, kempyang (sets of drumshaped gongs laid out horizontally on stands)
hanging gongs called kempul and the large gong ageng
xylophone-like instruments called gambang (similar to saron and gendér but with
wooden bars instead of metal ones)
drums called kendhang
Instruments of the Javanese Gamelan – Permai Gamelan (5:18 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il5nGXComn0
Questions
What is the role of the Drums in the orchestra?
Which instruments appear to be providing the main melody?
How does the Dalang signal to the orchestra when to start playing?
Choose your favourite piece and why?
Describe the tone colour of this piece.
Describe the style of singing in this performance.
Which is your favourite instrument? Why?
Instruments of the Javanese Gamelan
Bonang Barung
The lower-pitched of the two bonangs. Adds
delicate patterns to the music.
Sounds like…
Bonang Penerus
The higher-pitched of the two bonangs. Adds
delicate patterns to the music.
Sounds like…
Gambang
Gender
A xylophone and the only wooden instrument.
Adds percussive texture.
Plays soft patterns and some solo work during
a shadow puppet performance.
Sounds like…
Sounds like…
Kendhang
The drum player is the leader of the gamelan.
They set the pace and the mood of the music.
Sounds like…
Kenong
A punctuating instrument. It provides accents
to the music.
Sounds like…
Kempul & Gong
The most important punctuating instrument.
The biggest gong is like a full stop at the end of
a phrase.
Sounds like…
Saron Barung
The middle-pitched of the four sarons. Plays
the melody.
Sounds like…
Saron Demung
The lowest-pitched of the four sarons. Plays the
melody.
Sounds like…
Saron Sanga
A middle-pitched saron with two additional high
notes. Plays variations on the melody.
Sounds like…
Saron Penerus
The highest-pitched of the four sarons. Plays
patterns that complement the melody.
Sounds like…
Slenthem
A lower-pitched version of the gender. Plays
the melody.
Sounds like…