Central to the performing arts traditions of Indonesia are gamelan music, dance, and wayang kulit or shadow puppetry.
Gamelan Music
A gamelan is a percussion orchestra indigenous to Indonesia, with variants in different areas of this vast Southeast Asian republic (the Sumunar Gamelan Ensemble plays on a Javanese set). Made primarily of bronze, the instruments include suspended gongs of various sizes, small gongs supported horizontally on wooden racks, metallophones of several sizes (bars resting on a resonating box–like a xylophone, but metal), and one true xylophone (wooden bars). Two stringed instruments, a bamboo flute, and singing voices are frequently included. All instruments in a set have similar decoration, including wood carving and finish.
Each gamelan is tuned independently, not matching the tuning of any other set. Two scales (or laras) are used: slendro (five tones to the octave) and pelog (seven to the octave). Each scale requires its own instruments, as the tones are different. Each scale has three pathet, best translated as “mode.” Each composition is cast in a specific time structure, usually listed along with the title–e.g., ladrang, lancaran, ketawang, etc. Further information about the structure may also be included in the title.
A gamelan ensemble varies from six to 35 or more instruments and players, depending on the occasion and setting. The chiming, bell-like sound texture is like no other, and is notably identifiable with Indonesia. Some repertoire played today is from traditional sources, centuries old. But gamelan is not a museum tradition; composers continually supply new pieces, integrating influences from jazz, rock, Bollywood, and other sources.
Indonesian Dance
Dance is often performed with gamelan music. Both men and women dance, and often wear elaborate costumes and masks. As with gamelan music, some modern Indonesian choreography is influenced by styles from other parts of the world and popular traditions.
Shadow Puppetry
Shadow puppetry, or wayang kulit, is another traditional performing art of Indonesia. The puppeteer, or dalang, uses flat puppets made out of elaborately carved and painted buffalo hide and bone to tell stories on a white screen. A bright lamp illuminates the screen, allowing the puppeteer to cast shadows with the puppets, and he is able to make them grow and shrink by moving them closer to and further from the screen.
Wayang kulit performances traditionally go on all night, from dusk until dawn, and many tell traditional stories. It is common for audience members to nap, snack and chat as the performance carries on.
Read more about wayang kulit.
