A tight interaction of melodic, rhythmic and textural components sustains the powerful orchestral gamelan music of Bali. The building blocks of the music share many traits with the larger social organization of Balinese villages, which provide a compelling setting for music that is an integral part of daily life.
The primary function of music in Bali is to accompany ritual activity, but it is performed in many recreational contexts also. The instruments, most often made from bronze or bamboo, are organized into ensembles and tuned according to a set of flexibly interpreted standards. Villages may maintain one or several types of gamelan and use each for a ritually predetermined set of occasions.
Music is composed, memorized, and rehearsed at the village meeting hall. When a gamelan accompanies dancers, as it often does, the close connections between movement and sound are brought to life through a complex system of interactive cues and responses. Performance standards are very high, and even with Bali's current and rapidly expanding connection to the rest of the world, gamelan music remains almost wholly unaffected by outside influences. The tradition is still learned and developed with vigor, and it has found an increasingly broad international audience.

About the Author

Michael Tenzer teaches at the University of British Columbia and is a well-known composer of both Western and Balinese music.

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