week three

I have to say I was quite surprised to see that even when the sound of music remains the same, a musical performance and all it encases can really take on a completely different meaning when when the context in which the performance takes place changes. The two Balinese gamelon groups that performed performed using the same sets of instuments and had the same harmonies and used the same notes and chords. The most obvious difference between the two groups performances was each of their settings and this change made a world of difference. The formality and performance presentation of "Ratna Ayu" was vey captivating and kept my attention very well. The clothing and movements were extremely entertaining and added to the overall "entertainment" feel. This is most likely due to the fact that the dancing added to the fullness of the performance and kind of overpowered the music distracting my attention from the musical performance a bit. The "gamelan Bali Nyepi" on the other hand was a bit more calm since there was nothing to really distact me. It seems to be a more of a personal event since the musicians seemed to play more for their own pleasure on the beach. Their clothing was simple and they remained seated so there was not much to watch although it was lovely to listen to. Although I enjoyed both performances I must admit the "Ratna Ayu" was a bit more exciting to watch than the "gamelan Bali Nyepi" which only supports its right of being a performance piece.