Kendhang Kalih (1990) is an engaging multi-percussion duet inspired by Javanese gamelan music. Each performer plays an independent arrangement of drums, but their rhythms lock into one another to produce the effect of a single large drum setup. The first section contrasts the two performers over a series of phasing repeats; one part becomes denser and quieter, the other becomes sparse and loud. The second section fuses them together in a minimalistic note-by-note construction of a ‘drum melody'.
Jason Baker, Percussive Notes, August, September 2009
Kendhang Kalih is a Javanese-influenced work for multiple percussion duo. Scored for two sets of tom-toms, bass drum and two sets of timpani, the piece is written to imitate the interlocking rhythms commonly associated with Javanese gamelan style.
The work is divided into two sections. The first opens with each percussionist playing a set of four toms. The material performed by Player 1 consists mainly of quarter-note and eighth- note statements, frequently occurring over the barline, whose beginnings are punctuated by single resonant notes on the bass drum. This is contrasted by triple and quintuple rhythms performed by Player 2. The second section is characterized by a shift to timpani by both performers. Interlocking duple rhythms occur between the two timpani with interjected notes on the toms. By gradually adding notes over a series of repeats, these interjections gradually build up to create what the composer refers to as a ‘drum melody', similar to techniques used in minimalist compositions.
Several aspects of Kendhang Kalih are left to the discretion of the performers. These include relative tuning of tom-toms between performers, stick/mallet selection and setup (as both timpani and tom-toms must be played simultaneously by both performers). This piece would be appropriate for advanced student percussionists or a professional chamber duo interested in performing a non-Western-style piece commonly available concert instruments.
Difficulty Rating Scale: V - Advanced
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
