under construction

LISTENING TO

AND  READING  ABOUT  JAVANESE  GAMELAN

The content of this site will likely grow in time

contact:  manis@gamelan.it

This website was conceived to provide informed readings and musical examples for anyone who is interested in gamelan music, particularly Central Javanese gamelan. The material is drawn from a collection of recordings and connected liner notes generally available as commercial CDs. However, with the present initiative the producer of the collection, John Noise Manis, only intends to help document and disseminate the knowledge of traditional gamelan music, and to increase the appreciation of this music in the Western world. Such non-commercial intent is parallel to the non-profit character of Yantra Productions' activity, which only benefits the Javanese musicians. (The inevitable role and interest of label companies and distributors is of course another matter.)

The material is arranged by musical themes or compositional areas. However, the categories presented here should not be seen as strictly rigid, as they are meant primarily to help orient the reader/listener in the vast and articulated cultural patrimony which is the classical music of Java.

At present, the musical 'chapters' are as follows. You are invited to go through them and choose the musics that you wish to listen to and read about.

- Ancient themes and rituals
- Instrumental masterpieces
- Large vocal gendhings
- Sacred dance music
- Small ensembles
- Sung poetry and its derivatives
- Tradition revisited