“The First Smile”: sweet gamelan sonorities evoke other worlds

Album review by guest writer Jo Hilder

Fifty years ago, in a remote village in Cirebon, on the northwest coast of Java in Indonesia, New Zealander Allan Thomas seized an opportunity to adopt a set of antique hand-hewn bronze instruments, a gamelan ensemble complete with shadow puppet set. It had fallen into disuse, and was offered to him on the understanding that it would be played in New Zealand, not merely put on display. 

After unpacking the instruments one summer morning in his parents’ garden in Auckland, Thomas (later founding ethnomusicology lecturer at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington) dedicated many decades to introducing this music and culture to a wide range of New Zealanders. Gamelan became an integral part of  ethnomusicology offerings at VUW from the late 1970s, and has also been taught at the University of Otago and the University of Canterbury. A number of gamelan ensembles are now scattered around the four main centres, encompassing the traditions of Bali, the courts of Central Java, and even Sumatra.

Dr Allan Thomas, founding director of The First Smile

…adopted gamelan ensemble, with a set of shadow puppets, and brought them to Aotearoa.

A just-released album, The First Smile, named after that founding instrumental ensemble itself, captures beautifully its sweet sonorities. 

The first thing that may strike listeners unfamiliar with gamelan are the pitches and intervals, which are unrelated to the Western scale. These, and the tonalities of the instruments themselves, have presented interesting challenges for local composers, who have been quick to experiment.

The late David Farquhar was one of the first, creating his own response to an exercise for his composition students. His Ostinato opens with the deep sound of the gong, captured perfectly on this new album through Warwick Donald’s expert recording and mixing. This alone is impressive, with such low frequencies often lost completely in early gamelan recordings.

Ostinato does not attempt to use traditional gamelan techniques, and indeed, Farquhar’s knowledge of these would have been minimal so soon after encountering the ensemble. Free glissandos from the gambang, the only wooden instrument in the ensemble, add contrast over the top of bronze instruments and the piece ends with repeated joint outbursts of sounds that gradually fade away, gaps between each repetition growing longer and longer, as we second-guess when the piece has actually finished.

The two pieces of traditional Cirebon gamelan repertoire included on the album give the performers a chance to show their skill with this kind of ‘chamber music’ without conductor. In Sinjang Kirut and Kasturun the traditional cyclic forms are performed with aplomb, transporting us to an alternate musical universe.

A musician plays the bronze instruments of the gamelan ensemble

Photo credit: John Casey

Most of the album, however, focuses on new music, including two works by prominent 20th century American composer Lou Harrison, written on his visit to New Zealand in 1983. In contrast to Farquhar’s offering, Harrison’s compositions are rooted in much deeper gamelan experience and use traditional techniques. In Lagu-Lagu Thomasan, a reference to Thomas, the group shows their ability to work together sensitively, successfully negotiating speed changes without the usual leadership of a drummer. (The work has recently been taught to children from Roseneath School in Wellington, underlining its accessibility.) Lagu Victoria, named in honour of the university, is a short, sweet piece with nice use of off-beats and a variety of melodies.

The remaining works are recent ones by kiwis, all of whom have substantial experience with gamelan, two being active members of the group. Chris Francis’ Nhemamusasa provides a unique angle, being a joyous transposition of an African marimba piece to the gamelan. It gradually layers in each instrument, giving a very apt sense of gathering together as a community.

The other composers take various mathematically-related ideas as their starting points. In Lagu Senyum Pertama, Anton Killin uses a musical cryptogram based on the names of the performers as the basis for the melodies, echoing the BACH motif in classical Western music, although with an extra step since pitches are referred to by numbers rather than letters in Javanese gamelan.

Alison Isadora’s Wetonan Cycle draws inspiration from the intriguing way the 7-day Western calendar and the 5-day Javanese calendar are used together in overlapping ways, creating in Java a 35-day cycle. This produces interesting rhythmic complexities. Replacing a drummer to cue changes is a simple rapping on the wood of an instrument. The longest piece on this album, it works better in live performance, perhaps, with an integrated dance element.

The album ends with Gerard Crewdson’s Cantor’s Infinity, delicately put together with the depth of the gong contrasted with high pitched sarons. Crewdson’s muted trumpet adds a jazz-like element over repeated notes from the gamelan as the piece gradually fades out, bringing the album to a haunting close.

The experience of this Rattle album is much enhanced by beautiful physical presentation, with exquisite photography by John Casey, additional information about each composer, and good background to the instruments and the group.

Photo credit: John Casey

Although performances are occasionally marred by some imprecision, such imperfections can be seen as a natural feature of the fabric of this ensemble. Peaceful and meditative, The First Smile album evokes another world. Jennifer Shennan, powerhouse behind both the album and the ongoing active use of the instruments, has ensured a fine tribute to the work of Thomas, her late husband, while honouring his original commitment when bringing these instruments to Aotearoa.

Jo Hilder has been playing gamelan in Wellington since the early 1980s, and has also performed with ensembles in London and Los Angeles. She studied Central Javanese gamelan in Indonesia in 1985 and with Javanese and Balinese experts in Wellington.

The First Smile Gamelan Ensemble (Rattle Records) Purchase link here