Guest
The name Bach is synonymous with Baroque music, while the word “gamel” means “to hammer” in Javanese and is the root word for the fascinating orchestral music known as Europe and the Southeast Asian tradition of Javanese gamelan: 1) symmetrical hierarchical rhythmic structures; 2) two-part antecedent-consequent melodic structures to articulate form; 3) the implementation of goal-oriented devices (harmonic cadence in Baroque, seleh in Javanese gamelan) for articulating movement through the structure and marking points of arrival; 4) the use of stylized improvisation (continuo in Baroque, garapan in gamelan) in accompanying parts based on a common practice and guided by a melodic line; and 5) the importance of royal courts in the fostering of music creation and performance, to name a few. Opportunity to discover elements of contact, nearness, similitude, and symmetry, be they of musical features or simply atmospheric feel.
