Gamelan Genta Kasturi Spring Concert 2019 with Balinese Artists at the Nelson-Atkins

Gamelan Genta Kasturi presents Spring Concert 2019
with guest Balinese artists
I Ketút Gedé Asnawa, Putu Oka Mardiani, Ni Made Nias Yunirika and Ni Nyoman Nias Yonitika

Sunday March 24, 2019 – 1pm
Nelson Atkins Museum – Atkins Auditorium
FREE and open to the public
ticket required at the info desk or www.nelson-atkins.org

PROGRAM

Pemungkah (traditional)

In Bali, Arts performances are always preceded by an act of offering and prayer. Pemungkah meaning \”to open\” or \”to begin\” is a ritual in which the musicians and dancers process into the performance area to present an offering and request the presence of Sang Hyang Taksu, the divine spirit who is asked to inhabit the bodies of performers and guide their performance. The accompanying processional music is called Beleganjur.

Sekar Taman Dance (Flowers from the Garden)
This piece belongs to the Balinese genre of the welcome dance, in which dancers welcome guests by showering them with flowers at the close. The natural variety of flowers is symbolized both by the changing movements of the dancers and by the changing of melodic modes.

Choreographer and costume: Putu Oka Mardiani
Composer: I Ketút Gedé Asnawa
Dancers: Yunirika Asnawa and Yonitika Asnawa

Sekar Gadung – I Ketút Gedé Asnawa

This composition is an influential resetting of a traditional sacred gamelan selonding work into gamelan semar pegulingan style.

Topeng Keras Dance (traditional)

A classic Balinese solo character dance depicting an authoritarian and boisterous martial leader.

Dancer: Putu Oka Mardiani

Kebyar Ding – I Wayan Regog
This composition is credited with being the first Gamelan work that began the wave of \”Kebyar\” style that swept the entire island of Bali after it\’s introduction in 1915. Kebyar has been interpreted as \”lightning\”, \”the bursting open of a flower\” and \”explosive\”. This style is highlighted by abrupt bursts of sound, shifts in tempo, rapid stops and a style of fast succession of themes within a single piece, in contrast with the more evenly colotomic and structured traditional repertoire of Balinese Gamelan.

Margepati Dance
A solo dance performed by a young woman, this piece depicts the lion, king of the forest. The name comes from an opening dance movement in which the dancer squints her eyes and does an S-shaped movement with her neck and head to the right. This imitates the eye movements of a sleeping lion.

Choreographer and composer: I Nyoman Kaler
Dancers: Yunirika Asnawa and Yonitika Asnawa

Gilak Walipraja – I Ketút Gedé Asnawa

This instrumental form is often composed to honor prominent individuals and is performed as a closing or “farewell” piece.

Gamelan Genta Kasturi players:

Patrick Alonzo Conway – director, ugal, trompong, kendang; Sam Hughes – assistant director, pemade, kantilan, ceng ceng kopyak; Roy Alanis – jegogan, ceng ceng kopyak; Matt Brahl – kajar, jublag, pemade, ceng ceng kopyak; Malcolm Cook – pemade, ceng ceng kopyak; David Bennett Freeling – jublag, ponggang; Wesley Isaac – pemade, kantilan, ceng ceng kopyak; Sara Koron – gongs; Sean Mawhirter – jegogan, kajar; Lauren Mola – jublag, pemade, kantilan, ponggang; Julian Schempf – pemade, kantilan, ceng ceng kopyak; Wayne Yockey – suling, pemade; Allan Winkler – ceng ceng, kempur

Special Thanks

Catherina Mueller – Nelson-Atkins Museum; Laura Isaac – Arts Dojo; Leo Wetherill – Leo Gilbert Wetherill Foundation; Karen Williams – Kindness, Inc.; Wayne Yockey; Thaylia Smith