New balungan and vocal notation has been added to the Resources page in lieu of Langen Suka’s mid-year klenengan.
Gendhing Candra minggah Ladrang Sri Hascarya followed by Ladrang Wesmester are all new additions to Langen Suka’s repertoire and we’ll be playing the suite of pieces in the same way as the recording below:
If you’ve never heard Ladrang Wesmester (i.e. “Westminster”) before, make sure you catch it at around 23’57” and you’ll see why the piece is named as such.
Luntur (“Faded”) is a well-known langgam composed by famous singer-songwriter Gesang (1917–2010), who also wrote Bengawan Solo. The melody is in a minor key as can be heard in its original kroncong version (sung by the composer himself in his final years) or with campursari accompaniment. When performed with gamelan however, it transforms into the haunting barang miring scale superimposed over the slendro sanga mode. If anyone can locate a recording with gamelan, let us know. We’ll be including Luntur in our lagu dolanan bracket of our klenengan.
Welcome to the website of Langen Suka Gamelan Music Inc., an association dedicated to traditional Javanese gamelan music in Sydney. Javanese gamelan is something that anyone with or without musical training can learn to play. In Java, gamelan is viewed as a representation of an ideal and harmonious society in which each individual plays an integral part according to their own character, talents and abilities. While our members come from diverse backgrounds and parts of Sydney, we get together at our weekly practices to play this unique and beautiful music as well as socialising, as the Javanese do, while we enjoy a snack or two during breaks.