Year 7, #4

8 February 2008
Home of Bp. Rahayu Supanggah, Benawa, Palur

Dear Friends,

On Friday night, 8 February 2008, we had the 4th klenengan in the 7th fiscal year running. It was held at the home of Dr. Rahayu Supanggah in Benawa. It started at about 8:00 pm and lasted until 2:30 am. Our fiscal years now start in September, so the 4 klenengan so far have been Sept 22, Nov 10, 18 January and this last one. There will be 11 klenengan in the year, with no klenengan in the fasting month (October this year).

We had a number of new/rarely attending members this month and the klenengan felt very fresh and vibrant, with excellent players rotating around a lot.In fact, a number of foreigners in attendance commented that it was the best klenengan they had been to in over 10 years.

Bp. Wito arrived with two friends he invited from the Klathen area (and we hope he will invite every month):

  • Bp. Gendhon (former rebab player for Ki Nartosabdo and current rebab player for Ki Manteb Soedarsono—attended Pujangga Laras once before, last May when it was in Semarang)
  • Bp. Muryana (former balungan player for Ki Nartosabdo and current rebab player for Ki Anom Soeroto, also a highly respected gender player in Klathen)

Also in attendance was Bp. Ratna “Kartasura”, who has come on occasion previously, who livened up the evening with his wonderful genderan.

Bp-s Yadi, Kamso, Karno, and Sular were unable to attend as they had a final rehearsal before a siaran with BP Mulyadi/Lojiwetan’s bapak-bapak group.

The next klenengan will probably be held in early March, location as of yet undetermined. In April the klenengan will most likely be at Makam Haji to commemorate the 100-days after the death of Ibu Naryo.

—Kitsie Emerson, Solo/Jakarta

Acara Gendhing

  1. Ldr Wilujeng pl 7

    listen to Wilujeng, p7

  2. pt ageng, pl 7
    bedhayan Gd. Mangunsih kt 2 kr mg Pareanom kalj. Ldr. Longgor, sw, bk Ktw Playon
    pt onengan

    rb: Gendhon
    gd: Muryana
    kd: Wakidjo
    penunthung: Wakidi
    bn: Mardi
    gb: Wakiyo

    listen to Manungsih Bedhayan - Pareanom - Longgor Lasem - Playon, p7

    Gd Manungsih is the name for Gd. Cucurbawuk in pelog barang. The bedhayan version played tonight was resurrected by Bp. Raji from a number of sources. There are sources that mention a “Beksa Badhaya Manungsih” from the Kraton, during the time of Paku Bawana IX, and the sources list the “urutan gendhing” as listed above. But there is no notation for the bedhayan melody in those sources. Then in two separate sindhenan sources the cakepan for “Badhaya Manungsih” is written out, but still without a lagu. Bp. Raji interviewed all vocal and bedhaya experts alive in the Solo area and no one had the lagu or remembered the dance, so he reconstructed what he imagined it could be from the balungan notation, using typical bedhayan phrases, or in some cases—such as Ldr Longgor—complete bedhayan already existing. He has recently passed it on to dancers at the Kraton, and they have also reconstructed a bedhayan dance which was performed at Kraton Solo, as well as in performances spaces in Yogya, Semarang and Kediri last November. The piece is now in the curriculum at ISI as an example of a piece reconstructed from research and pre-existing sources, thus Bp. Raji asked if it could be recorded tonight for students at ISI to use.

    (Bp. Raji has also reconstructed Gd Srimpen Kembang Mara and Gd Srimpen Bondhan Kinanthi in the past, using similar methods, and is now working on a 4th one—not sure of the title.)

  3. Ktw Gd. Merak Kesimpir kt 2 kr mg Ldr Kandhamanyura, pt manyura ageng

    rb: Wahyo
    gd: Ratna
    kd: Darsono “Jepang”
    gb: Narto
    bn: Mardi

    listen to Mersak Kesimpir - Kandha Manyura, sm

    For years, Bp. Darsono has been encouraging me to rehearse merong Merak Kesimpir with the kendhang kalih version he knows via the deceased Bp. Turahyo (and originally most likely from Yogya, along with the kendhang kalih version of merong Gd. Muncar). He has written out the notation for me and I have been trying to get him to record it for ages but it never happens. I was amazed when I asked him last night and he agreed to play kendhang—he NEVER has at Pujangga Laras, and I would certainly never think as early on in the evening as the 2nd gendhing.

  4. Gd. Rimong kt 4 arang mg kt 8 kalj. Ldr Manis, pl 7 (minggah used kosek alus for an entire gongan and then moved to ciblon)

    rb: Gendhon
    gd: Muryana
    kd: Wakidjo
    ciblon: Wito
    gb: Wakiyo
    bn: Mardi

    listen to Rimong - Manis, p7

  5. Gd Kedhaton Bentar (gaya wayangan mawi kendhang kosek) kt 2 kr mg 4, sw gropak, ada-ada girisa (Budi)-dhawah Srepegan Pinjalan mawi palaran Gambuh (Tugini), Dhandhanggula waosan (Hartono RRI), Asmaradana (Yayuk “Triyagan”), Sinom Wenikenya (Budi)—Srepegan dados Ayak-ayakan, suwuk

    Pujangga Laras, starting tonight, are planning on slipping in a wayang gendhing or two each klenengan, as they need to rehearse for next May when they will be recording a completely classical, palace-style wayang with Ki Purbo Asmoro at the Kraton. They weren’t very satisfied with their garap of this piece (the position of the seseg-sirep in the merong as well as the suwuk gropak, which is supposed to return to filled in balungan), and will probably be reviewing it again next month. There will also be a number of official rehearsals for that wayang, all of which—including the recording as well—are being funded completely separately from the klenengan, but of course because the pieces are on their minds, they want to play them a lot.

    rb: Wahyo
    gd: Ratna
    kd sabet: Wakidjo
    ciblon (palaran): Wito
    bn: Mardi

    listen to Kedhaton Bentar - srep - palaran, s6

  6. Gd Onang kt 2 kr (merong rangkep) mg 4 kalj Ldr Wirangrong

    rb: Muryana
    gd: Ratna
    kd gd: Wakidjo
    ciblon: Wakidi
    gb: Narto
    bn: Sagimin

    We have countless recordings of Onang2 in the seven years of Pujangga Laras, and many with the merong in rangkep as well, but THIS is the one to put a star next to. Absolutely incredible. Kendhangan outstanding, genderan totally off the charts, rebaban beautiful, mostly Bu Parni singing.

    listen to Onang2 - Wirangrong, p6

    (break for dinner)

  7. Jineman Uler Kambang, sl 9

    listen to Uler Kambang, s9

  8. Langgam Aja Ngece, sl 9 (Yatmi)
    Langgam Candhi Baru, pl 6 (Yayuk)

    listen to Aja Ngece s9, Candi Baru p6

  9. Lancaran Gendruwo Momong, pl 6

    (This lancaran, used to accompany devil spirit scenes in wayang and reportedly from Yogya, seems in my experience to always come up suddenly and unexpectedly in a klenengan, and only about once every 5 years. Suddenly the bonang player plays the buka and everyone is taken aback, every time. And EVERY time, if I’m recording, I miss the buka. And EVERY time it seems to start out pretty ragged, then get more and more crazy, and end like a regular hit rock tune. The kendhangan is left to discretion and the imagination of the drummer—picturing the movements of the crazy-looking spirits across the wayang screen, and the balungan is haunting and repetitive. On one occasion I asked people to record it on purpose and no one could remember it—it simply “tidak jadi” and was very “kaku”. I swear if I believed in spirits I would believe that this piece only works when it is beckoned by them into the klenengan, only happens once every 5 years or so, and refuses to be recorded in its entirety! Everytime I’ve seen it used in wayang I haven’t happened to be recording.)

    listen to Gendruwo Momong, p6

  10. Bawa (Hartono RRI) dhawah Gd Rondhon kt 4 arang mg 8 kalj Ldr Gadhung Mlathi, pt ngelik, sl 9

    rb: Darsono “cilik”
    gd: Legiyo
    kd gd: Wakidjo
    ciblon: Wakidi
    bn: Mardi
    gb: Wakiyo

    listen to Rondhong - Gadhung Mlathi, s9

  11. Ldr Pangkur Tanjung Gunung, pl 7, malik Ldr Pangkur manyura

    rb: Darsono “cilik”
    gd: Legiyo pl 7, Wakidi sl manyura
    kd: Pahang
    bn: Mardi
    gb: Narto

    Ayak-ayakan Mijil Larasati, sl manyura

    listen to Pangkur Tanjung Gunung, p7 - Pangkur - Ayak Mijil Larasati, sm

Musicians Attending

  • Kendhang: Wakidjo, Darsono “Jepang”, Wakidi, Wito, Pahang
  • Penunthung: Wakidi, Wakidjo
  • Rebab: Gendhon, Wahyo, Muryana, Darsono “cilik”
  • Gender: Muryana, Ratna, Legiyo, Wakidi
  • Sindhen: Yatmi, Parni, Yayuk “Triyagan”, Tugini, Harjutri, Dharti, Tarini, Warti, Keni, Munirah, Yayuk “SriWedari”
  • Gambang: Wakiyo, Narto
  • Gerong: Sajuri, Panut, Parno, Hartono RRI, Hartono “Sajuri”, Budi, Widodo
  • Bonang: Mardi, Sagimin
  • Bonang Penerus: Marman
  • Gender Penerus: Tulus, Joko Sabar
  • Siter: Priyo, Joko Tipes
  • Suling: Mujiono
  • Slenthem: Ripto
  • Peking: Pahang
  • Gong: Karman, Prapto, Ali
  • Kenong: Sarsidi
  • Kethuk: Wahyo, Prapto
  • Balungan: Ngahana, Mulyono, Yanto, Joko Sabar, Pahang, Kuat, Kamto, Wawan, Wardi, Rajiman, Tukimin, Sapa, Hadi Soecipta, Warjina, Sutat, Tulus

Audience:

  • Purbo Asmoro
  • Suraji (usually an active player but tonight gave all the new-comer rebab players a chance to play, and instead sat and discussed garap with mas Darsono “Jepang”)
  • Kesi (arrived late from a rehearsal so sat and chatted with people and went home exhausted)
  • Nandar
  • Singgih
  • Furqon
  • John, USA
  • Rainer, USA
  • Miki, Japan
  • Kayo, Japan
  • Hanae, Japan
  • Silvi, France
  • Deborah, Austria

Budget

We spent Rp. 7,055,000 or $771 (Rp. 9100= $1).