Shimmering bronze ensembles of gongs and metallophones at the heart of Javanese and Balinese music.
A gamelan is an ensemble of mostly bronze instruments — gongs, metallophones and drums — built and tuned together as a single set. The music is layered: a core melody is elaborated by faster instruments and marked by the deep strokes of the great gong.
Javanese gamelan tends to be calm and meditative; Balinese gamelan gong kebyar is fast, bright and dramatic. Gamelan accompanies wayang, dance and ceremony, and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2021.
Good to know
- UNESCO intangible heritage (2021)
- Tuned as one unique set
- Two scales: slendro and pelog
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