Photo by Hitoshi Furuya
Photo by Hitoshi Furuya
Photo by Hitoshi Furuya
A performance of “Gamelan Mandala” (2020) and “Gamelan Mandala II” (2023/premiere) by Mamoru Fujieda. For this concert, the two works making up the “Gamelan Mandala” suite were positioned as “two realms.”
The works were performed by Japan’s only Sunda (West Javan) music group, Paraguna Group. Dance was performed by Rianto, Taro BOVE, Mirai Kawashima, and Natsumi Sagusa, who have given collaborative performances with gamelan many times.
Gongs were placed in the center of the venue, with gamelan instruments arranged in a circle around them to symbolize a “mandala of sound” and express the circular structure of the work. The venue was configured so that the audience surrounded the performers on all sides.
Two male and female dancers appeared on stage as symbols of yin and yang. It was a unique work that embodied the world of mandala, shifting between the instruments and the audience, and imagining the entire venue as a mandala.
【Japan Gamelan Music Association】
Gamelan is a traditional musical ensemble from Indonesia featuring a variety of bronze percussion instruments. It is loved all over the world as traditional music representing Indonesia, and not only classical pieces but also many new works have been performed in various countries around the world. The Japan Gamelan Music engages in a wide range of activities revolving around concerts, workshops, and international cultural exchange programs with the aim of popularizing and promoting gamelan music. The Association also focuses on creating new gamelan music from Japan, such as collaborations with instruments from other genres such as traditional Japanese instruments, and collaborative performances that incorporate Buyo dance.
Jiyugakuen Myonichi-kan auditorium
