Debussy and Balinese Gamelan Music
by Stephanie Schnur
by Stephanie Schnur
Introduction
In late nineteenth century France, impressionism
began to develop as a new style of music that deviated from the more
traditional sounds of Western Classical and Romantic periods. Claude Debussy was particularly representative
of this style of music and is considered one of the most important French
composers of the time. In the Paris
World Exhibition of 1889, Debussy was first exposed to gamelan music, which
provided a source of inspiration for many of his later works, particularly his
piano piece Pagodes, the first
movement of Estampes. Gamelan music is percussive music from
Indonesia, typically used in ritual ceremonies, with a unique sound that
differs greatly from Western music. There
are two primary types of gamelan music, originating from the Indonesian islands
Java and Bali, which contain several similarities, but differ slightly in
instrumentation and tonality. At the
Paris World Exhibition, Debussy heard Javanese gamelan music, which he admired
for its ability to “express every shade of meaning, even unmentionable shades…
which make our tonic and dominant seem like ghosts” (Hugh). Although more directly influence by Javanese
music, Balinese music can be comparable to Debussy’s music, as well. Specifically, Debussy’s Pagodes and the Balinese gamelan piece, Tabuh Pisan, both contain similar characteristics in their form and
counterpoint.
Form
Notable aspects of the form in Pagodes include ostinato and pedal point, both of which are similar
to the form in Tabuh Pisan. Much of gamelan music is colotomic in
structure, whereby established time intervals are marked off by specific
instruments (“Colotomic Structure”). For
instance, in the Tabuh Pisan, a gong-like
instrument can be heard every four beats, creating a repetitive pattern, from
approximately 1:12 to 11:35 (“Gamelan.
Bali: Music for the Gong Gede”) [1]. In Pagodes,
Debussy makes prominent use of ostinato in a way that reflects the colotomic
structure of gamelan music. An ostinato
is a short pattern, either melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic, that repeats throughout
a work (Forney and Machlis). The
following figure in Pagodes is an
ostinato that repeats throughout the piece, in measures 3, 5, 7, 9, 53, 55, 57,
59, 80, and 82.
Source: “Debussy, Claude Estampes”[2]
Similarly
to the colotomic nature of Tabuh Pisan,
the ostinato in Pagodes creates a repetitive
theme that acts as a unifying force throughout the piece.
The colotomic structure of gamelan music is also
comparable to the pedal point in Pagodes. Pedal point is a sustained tone over which
harmonies change and is used by Debussy in this piece to create a static effect
of a seemingly unchanging harmony (Forney and Machlis). The majority of the measures in the piece
contain a whole note in the base, as can be seen in the following excerpt of
measures 19 to 26:
Source: “Debussy, Claude Estampes”
Similarly to the ostinato in the piece, the pedal
point is comparable to the cyclical gong that is sustained throughout the Tabuh Pisan. As this excerpt shows, the bass note is
typically played every one or two measures throughout much of the piece. Although the bass note in Pagodes is less constant than in Tabuh Pisan, it creates a similar static effect of a stagnant harmony. Not only is the pedal point a significant
aspect of the structure in comparison to gamelan music, but it is also notable
in its sound. The ringing of the long
notes throughout the piece parallels the resonance of the gong in Tabuh Pisan.
In addition to the smaller aspects
of the pieces, the overall form of the pieces is similar. Unlike many of Debussy’s former pieces and
much of European music prior to this period, Pagodes contains a less systematic structure. Debussy’s earlier works were largely based on
an ABA form, such as in his piece, Clair
de Lune, but the structure of Pagodes
is much less clear (Hugh). Pagodes can be said to have a structure
that is loosely ABCBACD (Bryson), with Section A introducing the main theme
from measures 1 to 32 and returning from measures 53 to 78. The ostinato present throughout Section A is
also briefly present in the left hand during measures 80 to 83. Section B begins in measure 33 through
measure 40 and returns in the left hand from measures 47 to 52. Section C is the climatic point of the piece,
occurring from measures 41 to 46 and repeating in measures 73 to 77. The piece concludes with Section D, from
measure 78 until the end. These sections
of the piece, which overlap and repeat in different orders, contrast the more structured
form in earlier Western music.
Nevertheless, this structure is vaguely symmetrical, with the last
section beginning with the ostinato from Section A and the repetition of Sections
B and C in the middle. This symmetry
reflects the cyclical structure in Tabuh Pisan. Tabuh Pisan, as well as other Balinese
gamelan music, lacks a strict organization, similarly to the loosely structured
Pagodes, but it still contains a cyclical structure (Lieberman). This cyclical structure can particularly be
represented by the tempo changes and rubato present in both pieces. In Tabuh
Pisan, the tempo fluctuates frequently, slowing and speeding up in a
cyclical manner. The tempo slows at
various points in the piece, such as at 1:46 to 2:05, 2:20 to 2:48, 6:58 to
7:17, and 11:35 to 12:02, after which it increases speed again each time. Throughout
Pagodes, Debussy frequently includes
ritardandos to lead into each following section in the piece. These ritardandos are primarily after each
repetition of the ostinato in Section A and leading into Section B. Similarly to in Tabuh Pisan, the fluctuating tempo contributes to the fluidity of
the structure of both pieces, as well as their cyclical nature, by marking the
end and beginning of different sections.
Counterpoint
Both pieces are contrapuntal in texture, being
layered, fragmentary, and ornamental. The
layered texture of Pagodes can be
seen particularly in Section A where Debussy includes three independent layers
of sound in measures 7 to 10:
Source: “Debussy, Claude Estampes”
The
first layer of sound is the long bass note of pedal point, the middle layer moves at a moderate speed with primarily quarter
notes and eighth notes, and the top layer moves quickly, with eighth and
sixteenth notes. The middle and top layers,
in particular, can be heard separately from each other, reflecting the linear,
contrapuntal movement characteristic of the time period (Hugh). This layered style is evident in Tabuh Pisan as well, where different
layers of sound can be heard independently from each other. The gong sound every four beats, as mentioned
previously, is similar to the long bass notes in Pagodes. Following each
sound of the gong are three notes, possibly played by the rebab gamelan
instrument, that are approximately quarter notes in rhythm, similarly to the
middle layer of Pagodes. Additionally, another drum-like instrument,
presumably the gamelan instrument sogo or kendhang plays a faster rhythm
similar to the top layer of Pagodes (“Gamelan. Bali: Music for the Gong Gede”).
These various layers in both pieces
are interspersed with ornamental embellishments. For instance, in Pagodes, when Debussy returns to Section
B, at measure 50 he adds high pitched trills to the main melody:
Source: “Debussy, Claude Estampes”
Gamelan
music frequently contains similar embellishments, such as at 00:58-1:00 in Tabuh Pisan, when a metallophone
sounding instrument plays a brief motif in addition to the melody. Such ornamental additions are prominent
throughout the piece, as various instruments play small motivic lines (“Gamelan.
Bali: Music for the Gong Gede”).
The layered and ornamental aspects of counterpoint in these two pieces make up the fragmentary melody in both. Debussy’s piece contains motifs that repeat throughout the piece with minimal development (Hugh). In addition to the main ostinato in Section A previously discussed, the following theme in Section B repeats throughout the piece in measures 33 to 36 and 46 to 49:
The layered and ornamental aspects of counterpoint in these two pieces make up the fragmentary melody in both. Debussy’s piece contains motifs that repeat throughout the piece with minimal development (Hugh). In addition to the main ostinato in Section A previously discussed, the following theme in Section B repeats throughout the piece in measures 33 to 36 and 46 to 49:
Source: “Debussy, Claude Estampes”
Because
the majority of the melody throughout Pagodes
is made up of repeated motifs, Debussy creates a fragmentary counterpoint. Tabuh Pisan
contains a similar fragmented counterpoint, with the main melody being the
repeated three notes following the each sound of the gong (“Gamelan. Bali: Music for the Gong Gede”).
Conclusion
Despite originating from completely distinctive
musical cultures, Debussy’s Pagodes and
the Balinese gamelan piece Tabuh Pisan share
multiple similar qualities. Although
Debussy was directly inspired by Javanese gamelan music in the composition of
many of his pieces, Pagodes also
contains many significant likenesses to Balinese gamelan music, particularly in
the piece Tabuh Pisan. Specifically, both pieces have comparable
forms, with the colotomic structure of Tabuh
Pisan and other gamelan music paralleling Debussy’s use of ostinato and
pedal point in Pagodes, and with the
cyclical form in both. Additionally, both
piece contain layered, ornamental, and fragmentary counterpoint, creating
analogous effects.
Works Cited
Bryson, Steve. “Pagodes
(Estampes, 1903).” Playing Debussys Piano Works. N.p., 29 Sept. 2006.
Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
“Colotomic Structure.” Encyclopedia Britannica
Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
“Debussy, Claude
Estampes.” Free Sheet Music. Sheet Music World Center, n.d. Web. 26 Mar.
2015.
Forney, Kristine, and
Joseph Machlis. The Enjoyment of Music. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008.
Print.
“Gamelan. Bali: Music for the Gong Gede.”
Youtube.Youtube, 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 26
Mar. 2015.
Hugh, Brent. “Claude
Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan.” Brenthugh. N.p., 1998. Web. 26 Mar.
2015.
Lieberman, Frederic. “Musical
and Cultural Contrasts in Java and Bali.” Musical and Cultural Contrasts in
Java and Bali. University of California Santa Cruz, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
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