A NEW PERSPECTIVE OF COMPOSING BASED ON INSPIRATION OF INDONESIAN TRADITIONAL MUSIC BEYOND THE GAMELAN

Abstract

An emerging issue in the world of Indonesian contemporary classical music is the overrepresentation of the gamelan, the famed set of musical instruments of Java and Bali. The widespread popularity of the gamelan has persevered, especially in Western art music circles, since the late nineteenth century, when its sounds first caught the interest of Claude Debussy at the 1889 Paris Exposition. Since then, the gamelan has inspired many Western and Eastern composers, particularly with respect to its unique timbres and sonorities. Although the gamelan has been justifiably recognized as a source of inspiration to many composers, it represents but one of the traditional musical styles of Indonesia–many of which have received far less attention. This article therefore has two primary aims: 1) to challenge and encourage composers to see Indonesian music in a broader perspective, to explore and find new sources of musical inspiration outside the borders of Java and Bali; and 2) to present discussions of two recent compositions which can be seen as examples in this regard: Ananda Sukarlan's Rapsodia Nusantara and Nathan Iskandar's Indonesian Suite.