tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post457206812761094339..comments2024-03-07T12:57:35.296-05:00Comments on Varieties of Unreligious Experience: WayangConrad H. Rothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-36136825653837403672007-09-13T16:10:00.000-04:002007-09-13T16:10:00.000-04:00Delighted to hear it--I look forward to your repor...Delighted to hear it--I look forward to your report!Conrad H. Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-74661325275214025032007-09-13T09:34:00.000-04:002007-09-13T09:34:00.000-04:00Conrad, I feel a strange social pressure to finall...Conrad, I feel a strange social pressure to finally give in and learn more, experience more of this music and art. <BR/><BR/>I have resisted the gamelan for quite some time, mainly because when I was composition student, people constantly went to this music for inspiration, and for no good reason, this bugged me, and I've stayed away ever since.<BR/><BR/>There must be something going on here in Toronto like this. When I find it I will report. Thanks again for this.Andrew W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00071098030747838202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-712841799627845522007-09-12T21:35:00.000-04:002007-09-12T21:35:00.000-04:00well, cliff really isn't bad. the problem is one ...well, cliff really isn't bad. the problem is one of emphasis, i think. western theater is capable of all sorts of interpretations, hindu and buddhist ones as well as Christian or pagan ones (consider: is Oedipus about fate (emphasis more common in the west) or is it about self-knowledge (which would be an emphasis more common in the east)?) i am tempted to say that it is the multiplicity of possible meanings that makes this kind of theater such a powerful art form east and west -- not any particular one interpretation of it.Sir Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953581535133000686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-51750666483555126532007-09-12T21:16:00.000-04:002007-09-12T21:16:00.000-04:00Geertz adds: "the average [Javanese] man ‘enjoys’ ...Geertz adds: "the average [Javanese] man ‘enjoys’ the wajang without explicitly interpreting its meaning."Conrad H. Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-16830130236664423582007-09-12T21:06:00.000-04:002007-09-12T21:06:00.000-04:00Bhima is my favorite character -- not the one I wa...Bhima is my favorite character -- not the one I want to imitate, of course, one wants to be Karna or Arjuna or Yudishthira -- but for pure entertainment it is hard to beat simplistic and kind giant with anger management problem.<BR/><BR/>The east tends to mystical interpretations of the stories while western criticism prefers to focus on morality; and these differences are stressed by the likes of Cliff; but unduly so, in my opinion. I don't find Javanese audiences different from western ones, except that they make allowances of drifting attention, which is necessecity in 8 or 10 hour performances. Of course, my mind often wonders in 90 minute western films, but thats another story.Sir Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953581535133000686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-77312374282146706672007-09-12T17:31:00.000-04:002007-09-12T17:31:00.000-04:00Thanks. Funny you should say 'ethnographies', as I...Thanks. Funny you should say 'ethnographies', as I've just added a couple of bits from your favourite, Clifford Geertz.Conrad H. Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-74196037206316615692007-09-12T16:34:00.000-04:002007-09-12T16:34:00.000-04:00I liked this post a lot. It sounds like you had a...I liked this post a lot. It sounds like you had a religious experience. More London ethnographies please!Pretzel Benderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499362737998089533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-42779974626975206242007-09-11T05:41:00.000-04:002007-09-11T05:41:00.000-04:00According to the programme, 'the puppeteer uses hi...According to the programme, 'the puppeteer uses his foot to jangle metal plates', but I'll take your word for it.Conrad H. Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-30704188464571071252007-09-11T01:13:00.000-04:002007-09-11T01:13:00.000-04:00"I presume—using his feet to clatter and jangle me..."I presume—using his feet to clatter and jangle metal plates..."<BR/><BR/>The dalang knocks the puppet box with a piece of wood using his foot, usually right foot. <BR/><BR/>For Balinese shadow puppet<BR/>http://blog.baliwww.com/arts-culture/474/<BR/>http://blog.baliwww.com/dance-drama-music/343/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-85570555504171547432007-09-10T20:19:00.000-04:002007-09-10T20:19:00.000-04:00Thanks. The Glass sounds fun; I haven't heard that...Thanks. The Glass sounds fun; I haven't heard that piece, but have heard others, though only on disc. <BR/><BR/>Mind you, the wayang did get pretty heated at times.Conrad H. Rothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916542057749474124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20433842.post-75164504474237717002007-09-10T20:00:00.000-04:002007-09-10T20:00:00.000-04:00Very nice post. I'm quite envious as I've always w...Very nice post. I'm quite envious as I've always wanted to see a live gamelan concert. The closest I've ever gotten is a performance of Phillip Glass' "Einstein on the Beach" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1984. I know ~ not quite the same but still a protracted (5 hours, NO intermission) musical event & pretty spectacular. A similar trance-inducing experience perhaps?. No, yours sounds more ... well, relaxed.M.W. Noldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09196301119957236731noreply@blogger.com