Kreasi Baru
by Qehn
This is an index of scores and MIDI files of Kreasi Baru ("new
compositions") that I have written for gamelan. The Scores are rendered
as well as I could in plain text and HTML so as to be as accesible as
possible to the greatest number of people. The MIDI files are mostly
incomplete reditions, leaving out such things as bukas and often ompaks,
including only what I considered the "important" sections (hmm..mostly
sounds like I'm just lazy!).
A brief note on copyright: This pieces do belong to me. But I have
never yet refused permission to anyone who wanted to perform my work, and
I don't intend to start now. If you want to perform, even record, any of
these pieces, please just ask. All I want is to be properly
credited for my work. Thanks.
This is based on a little riff I came up with years ago, and finally I did
something with it. The title comes from a "tradition" many film in many films, when the characters go to a movie as part of the action in the film, and the film maker doesn't want to get rights or whatever to use someone else's film in their own, to have them go to a made-up film, very often entitled "See You Next Wednesday".
Carol is a friend of mine who died in an automobile accident with her
husband and son in 1995.
This isn't really a gangsaran.
This was my first attempt at combining African rhythms with gamelan.
I wrote this piece in 1996 to commemorate the arrival of our instruments
from Java. It's unadulterated cheerfulness is rather unusual for me.
This is a collaboration piece. It was composed jointly by several members
of Gamelan Sari Pandhawa, in the fall of 1996. And yes, it was raining.
All good dogs deserve pieces written about them. This piece mixes the
Javanese form and texture with a suling part written in imitation of
an Irish air.
The gamelan part for this was written several years before I finally added
the flute part.
I always wanted a piece with a kenong solo. I actually once improvised
one in a session with Widiyanto. He laughed, but it was clear that I
should never do that in performance!
It's not really a lancaran in the traditional sense, but it has sort of a
lancaran feel to it. Suggestions for a title?
An attempt to mix Balinese and Javanese into a single form. An
"interesting" experiment. We'll have to see what it sounds like with
"real" instruments.
Written in honor of my paternal grandmother, who passed away on that date.
This was written in honor of my friend Hiawatha's 46th birthday. This
rendition sounds an awful lot like Philip Glass, I think.
This is a piece that I heard in a dream, and actually remembered some of
it after I woke up.
The Africa Suite
This is a set of three pieces for gamelan with African instruments. The
point of the pieces is to combine the various temperments (tuning-wise,
not emotional) of Africa and Indonesia. Unfortunately, I am unable to
render that effect in a General MIDI file, that is, by default, in 12-tone
equal temperment.
For Gamelan (slendro) and Balafons (xylophones). It combines rhythmic
elements of Mandinka (West African) balafon music, Balinese Gong Kebyar,
and Javanese pathetan. It was premiered at the Festival of the Millennium
at the University of Oregon in November, 2000.
This one is for 2 Mbira Dza Vadzimu and Gamelan (slendro). It was written
for, and at the suggestion of, my friend and fellow band member, Nora.
For Gamelan (pelog) and Kora (West African harp). This piece commemorates
what is commonly held to be my 39th birthday. 39 is the product of two of
my favorite prime numbers, 3 and 13. Therefore, the gamelan part for this
piece is 39 gatras long, arranged in 3 gongans of 13 gatras each.
Contact me
I want to hear your comments and criticisms.
qehn@efn.org