'Gambuh' opera company tour revives dying tradition<\/p>\n
Bali's oldest opera at verge of extinction<\/p>\n
GIANYAR, Bali (JP): Balinese folk opera Gambuh is dying.
\nGambuh theaters are rare and few people are interested in
\nlearning about the most important traditional performing art.<\/p>\n
Gambuh opera, believed to be the mother of all traditional
\nBalinese performing arts, is performed mostly at major Hindu
\nceremonies. Will the opera become extinct?<\/p>\n
There is, apparently, a ray of hope. A Gambuh opera company
\nhas been touring Bali, performing at a number of places since the
\nbeginning of April.<\/p>\n
Not only are they performing at Hindu rituals but they will
\nalso appear at the Bali Arets Festival XXI at the Cultural Center
\nin Denpasar on July 11. The annual festival opened on June 26 and
\nwill close on July 17.<\/p>\n
A surprise is the old opera, whose storyline revolves around
\nthe Panji epic of ancient Javanese royalty, is performed by high-
\nspirited young people. Another surprise is they will perform an
\nimported story, William Shakespeare's MacBeth.<\/p>\n
The new Gambuh opera group is affiliated to the Arti
\nFoundation, which dedicates itself to the re-exploration and
\ndevelopment of Balinese classical culture.<\/p>\n
Under the leadership of Kadek Suardana, the group is planning
\nto go on a world tour. As a warmup, they have been touring Bali
\nand performing at several temples free of charge. The hosts pay
\nfor transport and accommodation.<\/p>\n
The group will visit Germany and Sweden from Nov. 1 to Nov.
\n20.<\/p>\n
Audiences are generally impressed by the company's creative
\nand innovative performance. For example, the scene from MacBeth
\nwhere the king was murdered was depicted in a curtained room that
\nwas carried around on stage. The war scene was dramatized by
\nvigorous movements and the sounds of coconut leaves.<\/p>\n
Despite some innovation, Suardana does not alter the standard
\nGambuh basics. He intends to present Gambuh in its original
\nversion. For example, he has an all-male cast. The plain costumes
\nthe cast wear create an archaic impression and the dance is
\nclassically elegant.<\/p>\n
\"We want to invoke a Balinese interest in the meaning of
\nGambuh in a contemporary context,\" Suardana said.<\/p>\n
In the past, Gambuh was a prestigious performance among the
\nroyal family. It is believed that Gambuh is a legacy of the
\nMajapahit Kingdom in 13-16th century East Java which came to Bali
\nsome time in the 15th century during the heyday of the Gelgel
\nKingdom, Klungkung.<\/p>\n
In the era of King Dalem Waturenggong of Gelgel, the Balinese
\nart was in its golden age. Gambuh was born during his reign and
\nbecame a favorite court show. At that time, all palaces in Bali
\nwere provided with Bale pegambuhan, or a stage for Gambuh
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
After the Gelgel Kingdom crumbled, Gambuh lost its sacredness
\nand became public property. In the 1960 Bali Arts Festival, eight
\nregencies sent their companies but in 1970, Gambuh groups
\npractically disappeared. In religious rituals at Bekasih temple,
\nthe largest in Bali, the opera is performed by the same group.<\/p>\n
Gambuh is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
Some years ago, the Ford Foundation offered financial
\nassistance for the preservation, research and documentation of
\nthis endangered performing art in Gianyar and Denpasar.<\/p>\n
The revival of Gambuh received a boost from Basel Gambuh
\nEnsambel from Switzerland which performed in Bali in 1998.<\/p>\n
As a legacy of the ancient kingdoms, Gambuh opera is highly
\nsophisticated and serious. It has a fixed pattern and its
\npresentation follows some protocol procedures. Its artistic value
\ncomes from complex choreography and background music.<\/p>\n
The elements of dance and music are tightly intertwined. Every
\ncharacter has a different background meticulously arranged with
\nmusic and specific movements. They all speak Kawi, archaic
\nJavanese language, with a rigid accent.<\/p>\n
Gambuh MacBeth will be a potential success if it is prepared
\nproperly. Special attention should be paid to the pronunciation
\nof the Kawi dialect, especially intonation. Often, the dialog in
\nthe dead language is neither fluent nor expressive.<\/p>\n
In Gambuh, musical and dance esthetics is above all. The
\nstoryline is a mere setting. Therefore, the bitterness and
\ntragedy of MacBeth are not so dramatically verbalized. The
\nstoryline and emotion is flat. MacBeth might be more dramatic if
\nit is presented in another traditional Balinese play like Arja or
\nGong.<\/p>\n
The writer is a teacher at the Indonesian Arts College in
\nDenpasar.<\/p>",
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