C.C. Chicago

Java is an island in Indonesia and its capital city is Jakarta. Java now plays a dominant role in the economic and political life of Indonesia. Java is one of the most densely populated regions on Earth.

Javanese music is one of the richest and most distinctive of asian musical cultures. Music was and is of enormous importance in religious, political, and entertainment functions. The music of Java embraces a wide variety of styles, bi=oth traditional and contemporary, reflecting the diversity of the island and its lengthy history. Apart from “traditional” forms which maintain connections to musical styles many centuries old, there are also many unique styles and conventions which combine elements from many other regional influences, including those of neighboring Asian cultures and European colonial forms.

Javanese Gamelan music has been performed for and enjoyed by people of all walks of life, from beggars to kings, although the sizes and types of ensembles, as well as the styles of music differs depending from which social class the audience is and on the ocassion.

Javanese music uses two tuning systems (or “taras”); slendo and pelog. Slendo has five pitches to the octave, while pelog has 7 pitches. With slendo, the octave is divided in more or less 5 equal intervals, while with pelog the octave is divided in 7 unequal intervals wherein the smaller ones approximate the semotone of the Western music. It was believed by the Javanese to be the older system, but contemporary musiciologist find evidence that slendo was derived from pelog. Slendo is associated with what which is masculine, and pelog with what which is feminine.

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