Gareth Farr's
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Gareth Farr’s ‘Kembang Suling’: Three musical snapshots of Asia BY ROBERT J. DAMM hile programming a recital of Kesatuan (Ingrid Gordon and Karen immediately, widening his horizons and music for flute and percussion, DeWig) on the Centaur label.” serving as a catalyst for writing tonal WDr. Lana Johns (flutist) and I Following is a description of the musi- music. He later studied Balinese began to prepare Gareth Farr’s cal influences that inspired the piece and gamelan in the United States, playing “Kembang Suling.” We found that this an explanation of the compositional ele- with Sekar Jaya in San Francisco and a duet for flute and marimba is an imagi- ments that correspond to the conven- few other Bay Area gamelans. “I became native adaptation of Asian styles. It al- tions of traditional Asian styles. a bit of a Bali freak,” Farr said, “and lows the performers to intimately have been [to Bali] several times.” explore many non-Western musical con- I. BALINESE GAMELAN Farr remarked that he was playing a cepts and techniques, which will bring a The first movement was inspired by lot of Balinese gamelan when composing refreshing diversity to any recital. In Balinese gamelan melodies. Gamelan is this piece. “Some things [in this move- preparation for a lecture-recital, I con- a generic name referring to various types ment] are very Balinese in style, but tacted Farr with some questions about of ensembles in Bali playing primarily a nothing strict,” he explained, adding, his music. range of percussion instruments. These “Jaya Semara has always been a par- Composer and percussionist Gareth orchestras, featuring gongs and ticular favorite of mine—fast, loud, what Farr was born in Wellington, New metallophones, may also include flutes, else do you need?” Zealand, in 1968. He studied composi- drums, stringed instruments, and voices. In regard to particular scales (e.g., tion, orchestration, and electronic music The kembang (or kempang) is a wooden slendro or pelog), Farr said that the at Auckland University. Further study xylophone; the suling is a vertical bam- movement features “Balinese pelog at followed at Victoria University, where he boo flute. Gamelan music is traditionally the beginning, then after it breaks out of became known for exciting compositions very functional in that it is used to ac- that mood, forget trying to make it fit that often used the Indonesian gamelan. company royal ceremonies and proces- any scale.” One prominent formal prin- He played frequently as a percussionist sions, dancing, and puppet plays. ciple in this movement drawn from the with the New Zealand Symphony Or- Gamelan music generally uses one of two gamelan tradition is the use of imbal or chestra before moving to Rochester, New tunings: the pentatonic slendro scale or “interlocked” (see Example 1). Farr clari- York, where he studied with Christopher the heptatonic pelog scale. fied that the interlocking technique is Rouse at the Eastman School of Music This movement utilizes several called kotekan in Bali. and graduated with a Master of Music pentatonic motives (e.g., F G-flat A-flat C The manuscript and layout for the degree. Farr’s compositions are influ- D-flat in the middle of the movement publication has been beautifully done by enced by his study of non-Western mu- and F A B-flat C E at the end). Other for- Promethean Editions. One correction sic, including Rarotongan log drum mal principles drawn from the gamelan that should be noted on the marimba ensembles, Balinese gamelan, and In- tradition include the use of elaboration, part is that measure 27 should be the dian musical systems. counterpoint, and cycle. It also incorpo- same as measure 13 (G-flat, F, E-flat, D). Farr composed each of the three rates the concept of musical unity result- The note stem with an x through it in- movements in “Kembang Suling” in a ing from interdependent and equally dicates a dead stroke (see Example 1). specific Asian musical style: Balinese important roles of the parts. The use of dead stroke is found in tradi- gamelan, Japanese shakuhachi, and Farr’s program notes describe the tional gamelan technique. According to South Indian raga. The piece was origi- movement: “The marimba and flute start Farr, “The left-hand dead strokes are the nally commissioned by New Zealand out as one, their sounds indistinguish- kajar (time keeper) equivalent of the flutist Alexa Still with financial support able. Bit by bit the flute asserts its inde- kethuk in Javanese. The dead strokes from Creative New Zealand, Arts Coun- pendence, by straying further and serve a double function; they make it cil of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa. Farr further from the marimba melody. An ar- sound more like Balinese gamelan, but played marimba for the premiere. gument ensues—but all is resolved at also they help keep the interlocking to- Several recordings of “Kembang the climax.” gether (just like a kajar would).” Suling” are available. Is the one Farr re- Farr was first introduced to Javanese The movement has a wonderful span leased on the Trust Records label the gamelan when he transferred from of dynamics, from pppp to fff. Farr said definitive performance? “Well, the Auckland University to Victoria Univer- that he plays the opening of the move- composer’s interpretation isn’t necessar- sity in Wellington, which is well known ment on the nodes of the bars, as he con- ily the only one,” Farr says, “but I’m for its practical ethnomusicology pro- ceives of the idea that “the music is pretty happy with it. There is another gram (especially gamelan). The experi- fading in, as if it’s already been playing recording of the piece I very much like: ence changed his compositional style for ages.” He added that some perform- PERCUSSIVE NOTES 26 FEBRUARY 2006 ers may prefer a more definite start to began to be used as a secular instrument of the marimba serves as an accompani- the piece. and in koto ensembles. Used extensively ment to the flute (see Example 2). in Japanese music during the 1920s and “I like the idea a New Zealand percus- II. JAPANESE SHAKUHACHI 1930s, the shakuhachi is played in con- sionist came up with—to play the middle The Japanese shakuhachi is an end- temporary homes and on concert stages. movement on alto flute and transpose blown, vertical bamboo flute with five An important refinement in shakuhachi the marimba part down a fourth,” Farr holes. The oldest shakuhachi in the his- performance is the execution of a final remarked. “That means some really tory of Japanese music was brought from grace note at the ending of each breath yummy low chords for the marimbist.” China as early as the 7th or 8th century. phrase (Malm, 151–160). The music of this early shakuhachi Farr acknowledged that his knowledge III. SOUTH INDIAN TALA AND RAGA lasted only until the end of the 10th cen- of the shakuhachi repertoire is not as ex- The nature of Indian music includes tury, but was revived in the 17th century tensive as his knowledge of gamelan. the concepts of raga, tala, and several by a sect of traveling Zen Buddhists. Japanese music is often inspired by na- modes of improvisation. Indian music is Kinko Kurosawa (1710–1771), a monk, ture and landscape. Program notes from characterized by the raga system, a kind later collected and arranged important the manuscript indicate that “the haunt- of musical scale on which a melody is flute pieces and established a new school ing sounds of the Japanese shakuhachi based. The term “scale” is not quite accu- of shakuhachi music. He taught these flute float out over the warm echoes of rate to define raga because raga encom- pieces to younger priests, including his the rolling landscape.” Farr explained passes a combination of musical phrases own son, who carried on his name and that this is “an evocation of the open and contours that give a characteristic repertoire, as did his grandsons until the landscapes, rolling hills, majesty of Fuji, melodic identity. There are at least 250 19th century. These self-contained pieces and the emotive expression that I get ragas in common use in South Indian are now known as the Thirty-Six Clas- from shakuhachi music.” music (White, 22). One method of raga sics of Kinko (Koizumi). Much shakuhachi music is monopho- classification is by the time of day it is In the 19th century the shakuhachi nic, but in this case, the subtle harmony used. Another is to group ragas accord- Example 1 Interlocking “kotekan” technique of the Balinese gamelan (note stem with an x through it indicates a dead stroke). Example 2 The marimba provides harmony to the shakuhachi flute melody. PERCUSSIVE NOTES 27 FEBRUARY 2006 PERCUSSIVE NOTES 28 FEBRUARY 2006 Example 3 Tala consists of a repetitive three-bar motive played on the marimba. ing to the particular mood they evoke. given theme through many brilliant and that it would be interesting to perform Ragas are said to cause not only emo- ornamented variations. Although a drone the third movement with an A drone. tions but certain physical effects. Thus, a accompaniment is typical of Indian tra- very popular Indian raga called Malkos dition, Farr does not utilize one in this OTHER WORKS is to be played at midnight or mid-day piece. He related that he initially “Kembang Suling” is only one of and evokes peace and sublimity (White, thought the A drone would be assumed Gareth Farr’s several contributions to 23–24). by the listener, but found the draw to- the percussion repertoire.