The gamelan Orchestra also comprises male
and female soloists, as well as a chorus which invariably sings in
unison. 'The .singers always sing with a nasal timbre, and turn their
heads away from the audience during the performance.
The most beautiful and popular gamelan orchestras are to be found
at the kratons o central Java. The court of Djokja has a very ancient
gamelan, venerated as a pusaka. According to tradition this orchestra
was founded already at the kraton of the kingdom of Madjapahit It
is tuned in the slendro key, with only, three tones. This gamelan
is one of the so-called sekati gamelans: these orchestra were only
allowed to play in sekaten week, which the Javanese devote to commemorating
,he birth and death of the Prephct. Here one can see a typical link
with Islam. Islam apparently only tolerated this one type of gamelan,
and al.3 only did so in order to facilitate conversion to the new
faith.
In the cultured circles of the kratons gamelan music flourished
anew. In this matter, too, Islam made itself feit, but its influence
could not stop this evolution.
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