Dance & repertoires

Colin McPhee has transcribed Balinese music for Western intruments. Below are some of the compositions that have been performed as recitals or recordings. The recitals started in the 1930's. The first recordings date from 1941. The list below is just a glimpse of what exists. One can find a more complete list of McPhee's transcriptions, but not necessarily exhaustive, in the book Colin McPhee : composer in two worlds. One can regard the compositions of our list as gamelan music (apart from the arja tune), but performed on non-gamelan instruments. Even though it has percussions found in gamelans, the arja ensemble (just like the gambuḥ and jangér ensembles) is not a gamelan in the sense of our definition (see “gamelan” in the dictionary). Two compositions illustrate strikingly well the great beauty of the play performed by the trompong in semara pagulingan : Babar Layar and Seduk Maru.     Title    Year of transcription Instruments   Type of the original ensemble (+ inferred genre)     Gambangan   1934 Two pianos   Gong kebyar     Pemoengkah   1934 Two pianos   Gendér wayang     Lagoe Tjondong   Between 1931 and 1935 included Two pianos   Gong palégongan (légong, tabuḥ bebarongan)     Gabor   Between 1931 and 1935 included Two pianos   Gong sekati? (tabuḥ lelonggoran)     Lagoe Délem   Between 1931 and 1935 included Two pianos   Gendér wayang     Kambing Slem   1935 Flute and piano   Angklung klentangan     Lagoe Sesoeloelingan Ardja   1936 Flute and piano   Arja ensemble     Rébong   Between 1931 and 1937 included Two pianos   Gendér wayang     Taboeh Teloe   1937 or 1938 Two pianos   Gong geḍé (tabuḥ lelambatan)   Suite in six movements :   1946   1.  Babar Layar   1946 Three pianos, glockenspiel, xylophone, celesta, four violoncellos, two contrabassoons   Javanese gamelan and semara pagulingan   2.  Gending Luang   1946 Three pianos, four violoncellos, two contrabassoons   Gong luwang   3.  Seduk Maru   1946 Three pianos, four violoncellos, two contrabassoons   Semara pagulingan   4.  Gambangan   1946 Two pianos   Gong kebyar   5.  Pemungkah   1946 Two pianos   Gendér wayang   6.  Repeat of 1