Abstract
It is a well-nigh impossible task to formulate a characteristic of “the” music of the Indian Archipelago, and this for a variety of reasons. In the first place, it is inhabited by two utterly different races: the Malay (Indonesian) and the Papua-Australian. Not only do these two races differ strongly as regards outward appearance: spiritually, too, they are very little alike. In their music this difference is also markedly evident, although it is not an easy matter to indicate in a few words the nature of this difference. First and foremost the difference is one of atmosphere, the characteristic details wherein the discrepancy lies being observable only in the second place.
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References
Figures printed in bold type in the text refer to the publications contained in the list of literature in Vol. II.
Cf. Suniti Kumar Chatterji, The foundations of civilisation in India (TBG LXVIII p. 65 et seq.), 1928; F. B. J. Kuiper, Munda and Indonesian („Orientalia Neerlandica“, p. 372 et seq.), Leiden 1948.
Wouter Schouten, Oost-Indische Voyagie (1676).
From the report to the Governor-General Hendrik Brouwer, on his journey to Bali (“Dagh-Register” 1631-’34, publ. by C. Colenbrander, p. 179 et seq.).
Vide below, p. 115 et seq.
Vide below, p. 391.
Vide below, p. 116 et seq.
Vide below, p. 114, 115.
Dr. H. Terpstra, De Nederlandsche Voorcompagnieën, in Dr. F. W. Stapel, Geschiedenis van Nederlandsch-Indië vol. II p. 19), 1938.
Apart from brief communications by Cornets de Groot (66) (not published until 1854).
The first part of which, containing sekar ageng, was reprinted in 1883.
Helen H. Roberts, Suggestions to field workers in collecting folk music and data about instruments (“The Journal of the Polynesian Society” Vol. XL p. 103), 1931.
From a letter of Sylvain Lévi to the Director of the Kern Institute of the Leyden University d.d. November 25th, 1929.
At the time of the writer’s departure from the East Indies (7th March 1934) these musicological archives, which had been handed over to the Royal Batavia Society a few months previously, contained the following; over 1100 musical instruments, 350 cylindrical phonograms, abt. 200 gramophone records, 800 photographic negatives, 500 lantern slides, a number of films showing orchestras, players and dances corresponding therewith (from Nias, Musi Ulu, Pasemah, Rejang, Flo-res, the Toraja-districts, the Atoni and Belu of Timor, the Kei-islands, Saparua, Northern New-Guinea; of a Jogya garebeg, and one of a réog performance and of a Solo kuda ke’pang), as well as a small library of various manuals. To simplify their use by interested persons, all this has been card-indexed. An large amount of information was supplied, both in writing and personally, and hundreds of visitors from all parts of the world were conducted round the archives. For a few years after the writer’s departure no expert guidance was available to direct the work; in 1937, however, the Austrian musicologist Dr Karl Halusa was appointed custodian. Vide also 208.
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Kunst, J. (1949). General Introduction. In: Music in Java. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7130-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7130-6_1
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