Musical concepts in oral performance of kakawin in Bali

Abstract

The connection of cultural memory to language & music is explored, particularly with respect to the musical understanding that governs the oral & aural realization of Old Javanese kakawin in a modern Balinese context. The prosody of kakawin from both Old Javanese & Balinese perspectives & the terminology of prosodic principles such as canda & wirama, which refer to poetic meter, are considered. It is held that in Bali, the oral performance of kakawin occurs in discussion of the content, meaning, & grammar of texts as literary products, in presentations of particular stanzas & excerpts, as parts of ritual activities, & in quotations of short passages that may have an allusive function as structuring devices in performing arts. Attention is turned to the skills of those who recite & interpret kakawin texts. It is contended that certain special concepts of sound occur in these performances, & they are demonstrated through an investigation of the products of the performance & the chanting itself. A discussion of the traits of melody formation in kakawin performance recognizes differences in metrical schemes & melodic contours. 3 Tables, 38 References. D. Weibel