Below is a QuickTimeVR node of the gamelan
ensemble's gathering room in the Burton Tower at the University of Michigan.
To view this QTVR node, make sure you have downloaded the
QuickTime Plug-in, and the QuickTime VR Component.
The word gamelan comes from the Javanese word gamel, a kind of
hammer, like those used by blacksmiths. True to its name, most of the
instruments are made of beaten metal and are played with mallets. The
ensembles can vary from small village groups comprised of a handful of
instruments to the grand court emsembles with as many as 75 bronze
instruments in addition to the rebabs, drums, and singers.
The gamelan offers a rich experience for all the senses. Beaten bronze instruments glow softly in frames of intricately carved wood. The honey-like smoothness of the tones and the intense rhythm intertwine to produce a mood that is at once tranquil and dynamic; the music's complexity encourages meditation. A tradition with a long history, the gamelan still thrives as an art form today in Java, Bali, Madura, Surinam, and other areas influenced by Indonesian culture.
