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This unique CD offers a fresh window on the courtly music of Cirebon, an ancient royal city on the north coast of Java, with a culture little known even in its homeland of Indonesia. This is the first ever commercial recording of the music of all five main types of traditional gamelan from Cirebon, displaying considerable variety in mood and emotional value... This regional repertoire appears to have been a hidden facet of the gleaming jewel that is the art of the gamelan - until now... This CD is a requisite for any world music course, world music student or casual sonic explorer. I encourage all intrepid listeners to add it to their music library. Andrew Timar, Amazon.com |
Some of this music is nearly extinct in its natural habitat, but an American scholar and player, Richard North, is keeping the tradition alive, directing groups from Seattle and Santa Barbara. The music is simpler and more spacious than central Javanese gamelan, and there's no singing. The risk is that things will get samey, but skilful programming, showcasing different forms, tunings and contexts, avoids this... John Whitfield, Songlines |