| GAMELHANG s. m. (ga - me - lang). Sorte d'orchestre javanais.
— Encycl. Le gamelhang est l'accompagnement indispensable des danses et des pantomimes, qui jouent le principal rôle dans les fêtes religieuses ou autres de l'intérieur de l'île de Java. Ces danses, ces représentations mimées se donnent ordinairement sous quelque gigantesque banian dont le feuillage couvre assistants et acteurs. Le gamelhang se tient au pied de l'arbre ; il est principalement composé de sonneries, de gongs et de tamtams, dans le bruit desquels se perd le grincement du violon indigène, fait d'une peau de serpent, d'une carapace de tortue ou d'un coco évidé, et dont l'archet frotte alternativement les cordes par-dessus et par-dessous. Quelques instruments de bois à pavillon de cuivre lancent de temps en temps des notes aiguës et stridentes dans cet effroyable vacarme, dont quelques petites cymbales en étain accentuent encore le rhythme. Mais ce qui domine dans cette musique, se sont d'épouvantables coups de tam-tams qui ébranlent l'air de leurs formidables vibrations. C'est aux sons diaboliques de cet infernal gamelhang que dansent les bayadères javanaises, désignées à Java sous le nom de tappengs, et sous celui de rougghengs dans quelques autres parties de l'île. Les indigènes trouvent un plaisir infini aux contorsions plus ou moins gracieuses, mais rhythmées, de ces bayadères cuivrées, ainsi qu'à l'épouvantable tintamarre qui les accompagne. A voir leur air profondément captivé et leurs mouvements, qui suivent le rhythme de la musique, à les entendre accuser les contre-temps soit avec la voix, soit en frappant alternativement du plat et du revers de la main les objets qui se trouvent à leur portée, on comprend aisément quel plaisir ils prennent à ces représentations. Quant aux Européens, quel que soit leur désir de ne rien perdre des curiosités indigènes, à la piste desquelles ils courent, il leur est impossible, sous peine de risquer de devenir sourds, d'entendre plus de quelques minutes le gamelhang. |
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Translation :
Kind of Javanese orchestra.
— Encycl. The gamelhang is the indispensable accompaniment of dances and mimes, which play the main role in sacred and other feasts of the interior of the island of Java. These dances, these mimed performances take place usually under some gigantic banyan, the foliage of which covers spectators and actors. The gamelhang is placed at the foot of the tree ; it is mainly composed of chimes, gongs and tomtoms, in the noise of which gets lost the grating sound of the native fiddle, made of snakeskin, a tortoise shell or a hollowed coconut, and the bow of which frets alternatively the strings over and underneath. From time to time a few wooden instruments with brass bell send out high pitched and shrill notes in this dreadful uproar, of which some small tin cymbals stress again the rhythm. But what dominates in this music, are appalling tom-tom strikes that shake the air with their tremendous vibrations. It is to the diabolic sounds of this hellish gamelhang that dance the Javanese bayadères, designated in Java by the name of tappengs, and by that of rougghengs in some other parts of the island. The natives take enormous pleasure in the more or less graceful, but rhythmic, contortions of these coppery bayadères, as well as in the dreadful racket that accompanies them. By the look of their deeply enthralled expression and their movements, which follow the music's rhythm, by hearing them stressing the offbeats either with the voice, or by tapping alternately with the flat and the back of the hand the objects lying within their reach, one easily understands how much they enjoy these performances. As for the Europeans, however great their desire of not missing any of the native curiosities, at the trail of which they run, it is impossible for them, under pain of risking of going deaf, of hearing more than a few minutes the gamelhang. |
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Our observations The definition itself is short and does not mention Bali. It is probably not a neglect. It is certain that in those times the word was not yet used in Bali and that the author based himself on the term's use in the island of Java. Bali already had another term for some of its gamelans : gong ; term used also in the Sundanese part of Java. One may wonder on the other hand about the peculiar spelling of gamelhang. Is it the European ear of the time that heard -hang everywhere ?
The encyclopedic part is pleasant to read. The author had written these lines in a spontaneous way, without academic distance between him and the event. Despite –or thanks to !– a possible disdain from the author, the description make us want to be on the spot and listen more. The author has had a direct experience and we would like to do as much. We may wonder, besides, what are those instruments de bois à pavillon de cuivre ; tarompèt ? |
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