Samagaha

If There Be Rivers, All Will Blossom – This piece, composed by Sasha Bogdanowitsch for Pusaka Sunda, calls to mind the importance of keeping faith in life, and maintaining creativity in hardship. This work differs from traditional Sundanese degung pieces in a number of ways: simultaneous use of two Sundanese tunings (pelog and sorog), separate tunings for each instrument, unique gong structures, chordal relationships between parts, and “through-composed” orientation. Rivers also features haunting melodic interplay between clarinet and suling melodies.

Seler Degung – This piece was first composed and performed by the gamelan degung group at Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) in Bandung in the late 1960’s. Its driving pace, irregular phrase structure, and tight ensemble work combine to create a sense of urgency and direction. Jeruk Manis – Jeruk Manis, or “Sweet Oranges,” is a lyric piece with simple construction and an expansiveness which provides a perfect setting for beautiful suling improvisations. Although traditionally performed with voice, Pusaka Sunda’s arrangement is purely instrumental.

Gagak Lumayang – This piece, “Soaring Eagle,” evokes the image of an eagle floating over a sunset. Composed by Burhan Sukarma in 1996, it features the interplay of two sulings, an unusual combination in Sundanese degung.

Ladrak – Ladrak is a piece in the classical degung style. It starts with a traditional degung pankat, or introduction, and features simple drumming with a heterophonic melodic line punctuated by larger gongs. The two sulings play in unison for most of Ladrak, following the melodic line much as a chorus would in West Java.

Jalir Jangji – This song, translated as “Broken Promises,” was composed in the 1980’s for the singer Euis Komariah and appeared on her recording Muntang Ngeumbing. Burhan Sukarma, who played suling on the original recording, has created a new arrangement for Pusaka Sunda which includes a violin in place of the vocalist. While musicians in West Java have played the violin (or “biola” in Sundanese) ever since its introduction by the Dutch in the 1800’s, it is still unusual to hear the violin performed with gamelan. In this arrangment, the suling responds to the violin line throughout, resulting in a dynamic interplay between the two instruments.

Lutung Bingung – Dermayon – Gamelan degung often performs suites of pieces, starting with one piece with a specific mood and moving to another, shorter work with a more contemplative ambiance. This combination provides emotional, rhythmic, and structural contrast Lutung Bingung is a lively degung piece which was recorded in West Java during the 1970’s and 1980’s. This is followed by Dermanyon, a panambih or rhythmic piece. Dermayon’s spaciousness allows for elaborate suling and drum improvisations.

Samagaha – The title of this new work, literally “eclipse,” is a Sundanese metaphor for emotional confusion. In this piece, Burhan Sukarma employs a common Indonesian compositional strategy: recombining and recontextualizing motifs and segments of other pieces. He creates meaning in the work by juxtaposing the associations and expectations that listeners have tof each musical component, manipulating each item as a poet manipulates words or phrases to create a new whole. Samagaha features extensive suling solos which contrast with lively ensemble playing.