Original Soundtrack

Sri Tanjung
The Scene of Innocence Instrumental Music by Kadek Suardana Vocal Music by I Gusti Putu Sudarta Essentially, music, or sound is untamed energy which is open to interpretation. However, through the formation of mans culture and civilization, music has been given meaning, symbol, usage or function within the context of man s life. Most notably, in the world of art. In the case of the performing art, music is sometimes positioned at the second level, or often functions as subordinate of some other main element. Because of this, in the world of dance, for example, musical composition transform to become accompaniments of dance. It is interesting to observe what has been achieved by Kadek Suardana, Mari Nabeshima, I Gusti Putu Sudarta and the Arti foundation in the creation tittled Sri Tanjung: The scene of Innocence, notably in the field of music. Here music plays major rules in enabling the dancers to realize their dramatic expressions to their maximum. In the dance drama, music functions as important artistic element, and plays a substantial part in shaping the story line, conflict of character, and the essential massage of faith and self retrospect innate story of Sri Tanjung, a story of penglukatan or ruwatan (purification). Clearly, music has functioned as the defining element in the conception of this work of performing art. It s modal aspects involving the preparation musical instruments which are out of the ordinary of the process of composition on the computer, followed by transference of completed compositions to acoustic instruments, are all a part of a long and winding process which requires patience. The intensity of this process has given birth a new kind of form of model of music for the dance drama. This is different from what has been done by musician of Bali in the process of realizing their thought and feelings into work of performing art or theater. In this work, the role of music is not second to other artistic elements. Here, music stand on equal ground as theater and dance. In creating the music for this dance drama, the composer has not strayed afar from own backyard. It turn out that traditional music of Bali, whether it is something alive or something which is on it s bring of extinction, holds large potentials in the form of musical idioms or vocabulary which can developed into actual musical works full feeling the necessity of different times. Traditional is heritage from the past which is

the source of life for new music, and it s richness will never run short. The history of gamelan in Bali, is a reflection of creative activity which places tradition as the source for creation, and indeed, this has been going for a long time. The many different kinds of expressions and ensembles observed is an evidence of this phenomena. However, as result of legitimation due to the cultural politics of rules, specialist of strength of mass media, the 20th century, up to the present, has been dominated by the gong kebyar, one musical expression which is seems as if recent years, it has lost its essence. Indeed, it seems that this gong kebyar is not only music, but a movement. Kadek Suardana belong to a generation who anxiously reached out from the development of the main stream and the musical atmosphere of daily life. In this work, Kadek has explored and searched into the variety and the richness of traditional music in Bali. Various types of musical instruments has been modified to accommodate a richer tonal placement. In modification of instruments such as the gangsa of the selonding, grantang-joged bumbung and rindik which are constructed larger than their original, the consideration was in the effectivity of expanding the range of saih pitu (seven note scale), in order to widen the possibilities of composition. The addition of these notes is the challenge for the musicians who only experience of playing the conventional pelog saih pitu, and getting used to the instruments is not an easy task. The ensemble prepared especially for the dance drama, at its first impression is questionable. Instruments from different ensembles are combined, along with instruments from different cultural contexts, such as piano and violin. This is a challenge indeed. How can a slonding be performed with the piano, the kendang angklung, the mandolin of the Islamic community in Karangasem? Or the violin duet with Balinese suling, and so on? The different colours of the sounds do not clash in this combination. It feels complete without being forced, even if there is contrast in regard to the characteristics of the sounds. Another characteristic of creativity which is based on the musical heritage of Bali, is the recycling of the various idioms and vocabularies of traditional music, such as the musical idioms of the gamelan slonding, gambang, gender wayang and the various melodies of the Balinese tembang such as the dandang, adri, durma, and also the cecelantungan used in the arja and the gambuh. In addition, musical sources which have been taken from different ethnic cultures such as the melody from Sunda, vocal style from Banyuwangi, compositional characteristic of the Sampak, and also the cyclic style of minimal music. I explain here that minimal music is a type of music which was born in the middle of the 20 th century. As a new genre of music, minimal music existed in western countries, but its initial concept was adopted from the

ethnic or traditional music of the east, including Bali. Its strongest characteristic is its cyclic style built on short and repetitive musical motifs. The traditional idioms mentioned above have been incorporated into composition of which at first impression seems to flash past before our eyes. These are mostly used in the traditions of scenes or to accompany dialogue. Essentially, its function is to project different musical impression in order to strengthen the dramatic aspects of the story. And the appearances of vocabularies of traditional music which have been developed anew within the various compositions are no longer the same as their original. One extreme sample is the duet between piano and violin, given periodical accents by the jegogan. A traditional composition of the gender wayang (Mesem), are developed into a style of a improvisational dialogue including changes in the notes, between the piano and violin. The original melody is almost unidentifiable, for it has been developed into something which gives a new impression. Music composed in the context of fulfilling the necessity of a dance-drama, is different from a work composed to be performed independently In a concert. Reliance on the interpretation of the story, the setting of scenes will affect the general path of the music. however , music was one of the first things which was worded on, and the result is clearly something more than an accompaniment, creating the kind of atmosphere which can bring out the best of the performers. Involved in every happening on the stage, the music aspires perfection and efficiency , it is as if anything which flows regardless of context is forbidden. Indeed the contribution of music is most substantial in the creation of a highly original performance. Original Soundtrack Sri Tanjung The Scent of Innocence 1. The Story of Sri Tanjung (intro.) (2:04) 2. Sida Paksas Meditation (scene 1) (2:13) Taken from the introductory verse of the Kidung Kaki Tua, a work of poetry written in the Middle-Javanese language. The verse is written in the pupuh (meter) called sida paksa. Here, the words are sung to a new melody inspired from the original melody of the pupuh sida paksa. 3. King Sulakramas Hunt (scene 2) (5:19) 4. An Old Love Song (scene 3) (7:14)

The vocalist sings the first verseoetry written in the of the Kidung Jayendria, a work of Middle-Javanese language from several hundred years ago. This musical composition is based on the grantangan (archaic musical notation of Bali) which was written along with this verse. The grantangan of this poetry is very unique, consisting of seven tones instead of the usual five. In this track, the original melody of the grantangan can be heard on the saron. The rindik, tingklik and the jegogan of the gamelan slonding sounds figurations which have been developed from the grantangan. The vocal melody stays close to the grantangan with limited embellishments. In order to stay true to the characteristic of a Balinese Kidung. 5. Journey to Sinduraja (scene 5) (4:05) The vocalist sings a panggalang (introductiory passage at the beginnings of different sections of the story) from the Kidung Sri Tanjung. The words describe the journey of the newly wed Sida Paksa and Sri Tanjung from the kingdom of Prangalas to Sinduraja. 6. The Nymphs of Indras Heaven (scene 7) (3:09) A verse from the Kidung Sri Tanjung, which describes Indras heaven where beautiful nymphs reside, is sung in a stylized way. The melody follows the musical characteristic of the pupuh adri, the meter in which the verse is written. 7. Sri Tanjung in the Garden (scene 8) (3:09) Based on the Mesem, a repertoire of the Balinese wayang kulit, usually performed on the gender wayang. 8. Sida Paksa Returns from Indras Heaven (scene 9) (1:48) 9. Her Last Words (scene 10) (2:26) The intensity of Sida Paksas rage makes Sri Tanjung realize that her death is near. Hyang kala wus prapta, Yan suganda nelikup, Cinane luwih. (My time has come, If my blood is fragrant, It is proof that I have done no wrong.) 10. Her Souls Journey (scene 11) (3:35) Sri Tanjungs spirit is woken and slowly drifts it reaches the gates of heaven. A verse written in the pupuh Adri, taken from the Kidung Sri Tanjung, has been given a new melody to accompany this scene. 11. Durgas Dance (scene 12) (3:39) Sida Paksa deeply regrets his deed, and cries for his dead wife. Suddenly, Sri

Tanjung comes alive in his arms. Sri Tanjung sings the first verse of the Kidung Rumaksa Ing Wengi in melody which has been developed from that the pupuh dangdang. In Bali, the verse of the Kidung Rumaksa Ing Wengi is believed to have the power to turn the negative into the positive. Here, the song sombolizes the purification of Sida Paksa by Sri Tanjung. Intrumental Music by Kadek Suardana Vocal Music by I Gusti Putu Sudarta I Gusti Putu Sudarta vocal (tracks 2, 4 & 12) Cokorda Istri Indah Apsari vocal (tracks 1, 5, 6, & 9) Gusti Ayu Kencana Meru Dewi vocal (tracks 8 & 12) Danis Sugiyanto violin, mandolin Gede Suweca saron A. A. Putu Atmaja rindik, tingklik Kadek Adi Wirawan saron Made Suwendra suling Anak Agung Made Putra kendang Ketut Subrata jegogan Made Arthya Talava kendang Mari Nabeshima fluet, piano Abiyoga percussion, gong, mandolin