Unplayed Melodies : Javanese Gamelan and the Genesis of Music Theory

The gamelan music of Central Java is one of the world's great orchestral traditions. Its rich sonic texture is not based on Western-style harmony or counterpoint, but revolves around a single melody. The nature of that melody, however, is puzzling. In this book, Marc Perlman uses this puzzle as a key to both the art of the gamelan and the nature of musical knowledge in general. Some Javanese musicians have suggested that the gamelan's central melody is inaudible, an implicit or "inner" melody. Yet even musicians who agree on its existence may disagree about its shape. Drawing on the insights of Java's most respected musicians, Perlman shows how irregularities in the relationships between the melodic parts have suggested the existence of "unplayed melodies." To clarify the differences between these implicit-melody concepts, __Unplayed Melodies__ tells the stories behind their formulation, identifying each as the creative contribution of an individual musician in a postcolonial context (sometimes in response to Western ethnomusicological theories). But these stories also contain evidence of the general cognitive processes through which musicians find new ways to conceptualize their music. Perlman's inquiry into these processes illuminates not only the gamelan's polyphonic art, but also the very sources of creative thinking about music. The gamelan music of Central Java is one of the world's great orchestral traditions. Its rich sonic texture is not based on Western-style harmony or counterpoint, but revolves around a single melody. The nature of that melody, however, is puzzling. In this book, Marc Perlman uses this puzzle as a key to both the art of the gamelan and the nature of musical knowledge in general.

Some Javanese musicians have suggested that the gamelan’s central melody is inaudible, an implicit or "inner" melody. Yet even musicians who agree on its existence may disagree about its shape. Drawing on the insights of Java’s most respected musicians, Perlman shows how irregularities in the relationships between the melodic parts have suggested the existence of "unplayed melodies." To clarify the differences between these implicit-melody concepts, Unplayed Melodies tells the stories behind their formulation, identifying each as the creative contribution of an individual musician in a postcolonial context (sometimes in response to Western ethnomusicological theories). But these stories also contain evidence of the general cognitive processes through which musicians find new ways to conceptualize their music. Perlman’s inquiry into these processes illuminates not only the gamelan’s polyphonic art, but also the very sources of creative thinking about music. "The gamelan music of Central Java is one of the world's great orchestral traditions. Its rich sonic texture is not based on Western-style harmony or counterpoint, but revolves around a single melody. The nature of that melody, however, is puzzling. In this book, Marc Perlman uses this puzzle as a key to both the art of the gamelan and the nature of musical knowledge in general." "Some Javanese musicians have suggested that the gamelan's central melody is inaudible, an implicit or "inner" melody. Yet even musicians who agree on its existence may disagree about its shape. Drawing on the insights of Java's most respected musicians, Perlman shows how irregularities in the relationships between the melodic parts have suggested the existence of "unplayed melodies." To clarify the differences between these implicit-melody concepts, Unplayed Melodies tells the stories behind their formulation, identifying each as the creative contribution of an individual musician in a postcolonial context (sometimes in response to Western ethnomusicological theories). But these stories also contain evidence of the general cognitive processes through which musicians find new ways to conceptualize their music. Perlman's inquiry into these processes illuminates not only the gamelan's polyphonic art, but also the very sources of creative thinking about music."--BOOK JACKET.

The ethnomusicology community has been anticipating this book for some time, and it soars above expectations. Perlman's scope and erudition are broad; readers are offered a rich and integrated educational tour.—Michael Tenzer, author of Gamelan Gong Kebyar: The Art of 20th Century Balinese Music

Among other things, Perlman offers a fascinating metatheoretical analysis of the nature of Western music-theoretical discourse. His view of 'conceptual innovation' in music theory is insightful and important, and it demonstrates the value of an informed outsider's viewpoint, especially that of someone so adept in ethnography and conceptual history. This book will provide a fresh boost to the continuing study of the history of Western music theory.—Scott Burnham, author of Beethoven Hero

This is a major achievement. It would not be an overstatement to say that this is a truly seminal work, one which all future studies of Javanese music will have to address and cite extensively and to which all future studies of musical cognition ought to refer as well.—R. Anderson Sutton, author of Traditions of Gamelan Music in Java

Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page ix) Acknowledgments (page xiii) Conventions of Transcription and Orthography (page xv) INTRODUCTION (page 1) 1. COGNITIVE PRELIMINARIES: THE NATURE OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE PROCESSES OF CREATIVE THINKING (page 13) 2. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO KARAWITAN (page 37) 3. KARAWITAN AS A MULTIPART MUSIC: THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE MELODIC PARTS (page 61) 4. THE BALUNGAN AS MELODIC GUIDE (page 87) 5. THEORIZING MELODIC GUIDANCE: THE SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF JAVANESE MUSIC THEORY (page 117) 6. THREE CONCEPTS OF UNPLAYED MELODY (page 127) 7. IMPLICIT-MELODY CONCEPTS IN PERSPECTIVE (page 159) 8. PATTERNS OF CONCEPTUAL INNOVATION IN MUSIC THEORY: A COMPARATIVE APPROACH (page 172) CONCLUSION (page 195) Notes (page 205) Glossary (page 221) References Cited (page 227) Index (page 245) The gamelan music of Central Java is one of the world's great orchestral traditions. Its rich sonic texture is not based on Western-style harmony or counterpoint but revolves around a single melody. The nature of that melody, however, is puzzling. In this book, Marc Perlman uses this puzzle as a key both to the art of the gamelan and to the nature of musical knowledge in general. Drawing on the insights of Java's most respected musicians, Perlman shows how irregularities in the relationships between the melodic parts have suggested the existence of "unplayed melodies." To clarify the differences between these implicit-melody concepts, Unplayed Melodies tells the stories behind their formulation, identifying each as the creative contribution of an individual musician in a postcolonial context.--Publisher description