UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 29, Page 4
April 29, 1993
Ancient art; Shadow puppets to join gamelan at May 12 concert

     The Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear, the University's Javanese musical
ensemble that has been enchanting audiences for 10 years, is offering a
special performance of music combined with a traditional Javanese shadow
puppet show at 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 12, in the Loudis Recital Hall of the
Amy E. du Pont Music Building.
     Shadow puppet performances are an ancient art form and an inherent
part of Javanese life and culture, according to Michael Zinn, associate
professor of music and director of the gamelan, who spent a sabbatical year
in Java in 1986.
     "Based on the Indian epic dramas Ramayana and Mahabharata, the shadow
puppet presentations date back at least 1,000 years. The performances are
given at festivals and weddings, and the whole family comes with food and
drink to watch the performance, which can last from early evening until
dawn," he said.
     The lavishly decorated, two-dimensional puppets of traditional
characters-such as the prince, the princess and the villain-are works of
art in themselves. They are intricately constructed of punched leather with
water-buffalo bones that have been sliced, heated and bent into shapes
providing the "skeletons" of the puppets. The puppets, which are mounted on
rods that can be placed in a holding trough, have movable limbs and heads.
     One puppeteer, or dalang, does the entire show, providing the action
and dialog of several characters. The dalang directs the gamelan by
knocking on a box or ringing metal plates with his toes. For this
performance, the dalang will be S. Soeprapto of the Indonesian Embassy in
Washington, D.C., where he is in charge of the Indonesian affiliate of
Voice of America. The University performance will be broadcast later in
Southeast Asia.
     The audience views the performance on a back-lit screen. However, for
the May performance, some viewers may wish to sit backstage and watch the
dalang and the gamelan perform. Later, these individuals will be able to
exchange places with those seated in front of the stage.
     The opening scene is customarily the tree of life, with different
animals, representing the balance of nature. Zinn explained that the plot
revolves around a battle between the forces of good and evil eventually
ending in a restoration of the balance of the world. The plays contain lots
of action, fighting and dialog, including contemporary, topical humor. For
this performance, the dialog will be in English, but the singing and
chanting will be in ancient Javanese.
     The musical accompaniment is composed by Zinn, and this will be its
premier performance.
     With both a bachelor and master's degrees from the University of
Connecticut and a doctorate from Michigan State University, Zinn was
intrigued by gamelan music when he first heard a concert in Milwaukee. With
a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, he studied Asian music
at the University of Michigan. There he began playing in a gamelan. He also
studied Javanese gamelan in Java and Bali during his sabbatical.
     At Delaware from 1980-1982, he spent two years creating instruments
for the Gamelan of the Lake of the Silver Bear. Sculptor Joe Moss,
professor of art at the University, provided invaluable expertise and help,
he said. Some of the instruments resemble xylophones, others chimes and
gongs. There also are what appear to be inverted terra-cotta pots that are
wired together vertically and have distinctive sounds. Hand drums, a lute
and flute help produce the Asian music. No two gamelans are alike: each is
distinctively tuned to its own spirits, according to Javanese tradition.
     Zinn imported a large engraved bronze gong from Java. Worthy of a J.
Arthur Rank movie and with a deep, resonant, ringing sound when struck, the
gong is suspended from an elaborately carved teak frame, decorated with
dragons.
     Zinn recalled how he had to be formally introduced to the man who sold
him the gong. Etiquette dictated that he meet the shop owner's entire
family over many cups of tea. "Then we talked at length and, depending upon
my knowledge of Javanese music, he decided what to show me," Zinn recalled.
After the involved negotiations were completed, then a frame had to be
handcarved for the gong.
     The Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear began in 1982 as an experimental
course for 12 students. They made up with enthusiasm what they lacked in
musical background, Zinn said. The new musicians frequently visited the
Indonesian embassy in Washington, D.C. to play with other gamelan
musicians. At the gamelan's debut in Newark, the Javanese cultural attache
came in costume.
     Many players have maintained their interest in the gamelan. In
addition to the student class of beginners, there is a more advanced
community ensemble. The players get experience in playing several of the
instruments. Some of the players also compose original music for the
ensemble. The two groups join forces for performances.
     Dancers frequently perform with the gamelan under the direction of
choreographer Allison Kaplan.
     The Gamelan Lake of the Silver Bear has given performances at several
universities in the area, at the national convention of the Music Teachers
National Association in New York, N. Y., at the Westchester Conservatory of
Music in White Plains, N. Y., at Longwood Gardens, in New York's Central
Park and for the Mid-Atlantic Chamber Music Society in Wilmington. The
group also has made a recording which is being distributed internationally
by the American Gamelan Institute at Dartmouth College.
     The concerts are well-attended and usually play to capacity audiences,
with people sometimes being turned away, Zinn said. The combination of the
interesting music, the musicians in colorful Javanese dress and dancers who
sometimes perform continues to delight a growing number of Western
audiences, much like Zinn himself, who was captivated when he first heard
the music of Java.
                                        -Sue Swyers Mocure