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SUPPLEMENTARY
NOTES ON BALINESE MUSIC AND In a general way, a Balinese composition is divided into four parts: a light solo to introduce the piece (geginaman); an introductory theme (pengunkab); a central motif (pengawak), the "body" of the piece; and a rhapsodical finale in which the motives are developed (pengetjet). The melodies are classified by types according to their character: the fluid, delicate motifs (memanisan ); the playful love themes (pengipuk), a sort of " allegretto " or " scherzo "; the strong melodies for masculine dances (bapang and gilak) and the violent war music (batel or kale). Besides this generic distinction, the pieces have names of their own, such as " the roll of the waves," “ langkwas flower," and so forth. The basic instruments of Balinese orchestras can be roughly divided into the following groups: (I) Instruments with metal keys of various sizes and pitch; the higher ones of nine notes (gangsa djongkok) that play themes and variations; those of five notes in lower key to play basses (gangsa gantung, tjalung, djublag, and djegogan); and the gender, with ten or thirteen notes which are played with both hands. The others are played with one mallet held in the right hand while the sound is stopped with the fingers of the left. (2) The suspended gongs (gong, kumpur, kemong, or bende) to play deep accents. There is also the reyong and trompong, sets of twelve (or thirteen) and ten bells respectively, which are shaped like the gongs, but which are arranged in a frame in progressive scale. Themes and chord are played on these instruments. (3) Drums (kendang) to lead the orchestra, mark the rhythm, and underline the accents. They come always in pairs, a " male " and a smaller " female." The drums are wrapped in black and white chequered cloth to insulate them against evil vibrations. (4) Accessory percussions: a small gong (kempli) held on the lap and beaten with a stick; sets of cymbals (tjengtjeng) to beat fast rhythms; and various sorts of bells and small metal tubes (kemanak) to produce incidental tinkling sounds. Besides these, there are other instruments, such as the bamboo flute (suling) and the two-string violin (rebab), which are used mainly as a lead for the melody. The flute is often a solo instrument. They do not form an essential part of the orchestra. The gong kebiyar, to which the orchestra of Belaluan belongs, is the large modern " concert " orchestra par excellence, where the art of ensemble playing, the colourful orchestration, and the vitality of the music show to best advantage. Music played by the kebiyar consists for the most part of new compositions based on older pieces, in free variation. The style of the South is more conservative and delicate than that of the North, which is loud, syncopated, and with revolutionary tendencies. Among the most famous gongs, during my stay in Bali, were the gong pangkung from Tabanan, those of Belaluan, Peliatan, and Selat in the North. The kebiyar is obviously a modern form of the gong gede, the old-fashioned grand orchestra indispensable to temple feasts, where they play throughout the night.
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