20 Nov 2007 : 'Jangkrik Genggong' returns with NZ musicians

Yogyakarta welcomed Friday a trio of New Zealand chamber musicians, among others, including violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins, with energy and warmth to-boot.

The international group has performed together as "NZTrio" since 2002 and their style can accurately be described as a fusion of modern and ethnic sounds -- sounds they have practiced to perfection and which make absolute sense. The three musicians are recognized as talented soloists but together they blend skill and passion into performances celebrated by both chamber music connoisseurs and novices alike. They are acclaimed for an innovative repertoire and dynamic interpretations of both traditional and contemporary classical music. A warm reception from a young crowd eagerly awaited their performance Friday.

"We were over capacity but I could not say no," said Marie le Sourd, French Consul and Director of the French Indonesia Institute and host of the Yogya performance. In an auditorium with an official capacity of 220 people, an appreciative crowd of about 260 made room for each other. They were mostly students from nearby universities, tertiary arts institutions and language school students with a keen ear for music.

Gleeful faces also lit up to Jangkrik Genggong, a composition by musicians Jack Body & Wayan Yudane. Natural cricket sounds and six different pengamen (street musician) versions of the popular Javanese song recorded in Yogya blend in and out of the live cello, violin and piano, as well as unusual percussion devices.

Body's music is well known in these parts -- he was a guest lecturer at the Indonesian Music Academy from 1976 to 77. In July this year, with Gamelan Padhang Moncar group he presented an innovative program of new NZ compositions at the Yogya Gamelan Festival. Asked how he has created such harmony between western and traditional music, Jack Body said, "Harmony? Most of the world's music is melody". Body has been creating a modern fusion of musical genres for decades. His opera Alley premiered to wide acclaim at the 1998 NZ International Festival of the Arts.

This work incorporated Chinese instruments in a Western ensemble and featured Chinese singers, including two authentic folksingers from Gansu, North West China. The strength in Body's music is that he does not force one voice or instrumental sound to be in harmony with another. Harmony is often the first thing latched onto today when novices take to the piano. Chords are relied on to create pleasing blends. For traditional music like the Balinese gamelan, however, the opposite holds true. The pentatonic brass instruments are kept precisely out of tune with each other to create a bigger, fuller sound from discord.

Paradise Regained, the third piece performed Friday was a collaborative composition created in commemoration of the victims of the Bali bombing in 2002. The restless duet between pianist Sarah Watkins and gangsa xylophone player Wayan Yudane saw the audience spellbound. Celebrated Balinese musician and composer Wayan Yudane has been resident in Wellington, New Zealand for the last five years where he directs the Balinese gamelan troupe Taniwha Jaya. Paradise Regained was the first of many collaborative pieces composed with Jack Body.

The first half of the evening's program concluded with a tribute to the blues and Body's transcriptions of famous musicians Big Joe Turner, John lee Hooker and Mary Lou Williams.

After a 15-minute break NZTrio performed the host's special request: Piano trio in A minor by French composer Maurice Ravel. The technical masterpiece requires a high degree of virtuosity to reconcile the piano and the stringed instruments. The cello holding its own, Ashley Brown provided a deep and enriching sound within the balance of textural clarity.

Wave by wave of thunderous applause coaxed NZTrio to perform a tango-sweet Oblivion by South American composer Astor Piazzolla as an encore.

Two more performances this month have been planned for the NZTrio, as part of the Jakarta Arts Summit, Nov. 19 and 20 starting 8 p.m.

Kadek Krishna Adidharma, Contributor, Yogyakarta - The Jakarta Post