gamelan

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A gamelan is a musical instrument from Indonesia - typically from the islands of Bali or Java - featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs, bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings.

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Definitions (2)

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  1. noun An Indonesian orchestra composed mainly of tuned percussion instruments such as bamboo xylophones, wooden or metal chimes, and gongs.

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Examples (45)

  • Julian has played for theatre productions which have involved working with instruments such as the gamelan, the Australian didgeridoo and Chinese percussion instruments.
  • Particular objections were Helen Mirren's posing as a nude Columbia torch lady in the opening credits painting, the nudity in the film in general, and also Peter Sculthorpe's gamelan-influenced score, which is one of the film's more distinctive features. —  DVD Times
  • A variety of styles of gamelan will be introduced, followed by a dance of the Tree of Life and a parade of flickering characters, shadows cast by the figures manipulated by Maria Bodmann, the dalang (shadow artist) whose work has been called "graceful, bewitching, irresistible" by the Los Angeles Times. —  NELA Live
  • The Balinese gamelan, a close-knit ensemble of percussion, flute, and voices, preserves some of the oldest music in the world as an essential part of ritual and secular occasions. —  Boston Phoenix - thePhoenix.com
  • The centerpiece of the ceremony is the Balinese angklung gamelan, built specifically for TWU in 2007 by Made Kartawan in Bali, Indonesia. —  PegasusNews.com stories
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Etymologies (1)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Javanese, from Old Javanese gamĕlan, percussion instrument, ensemble of percussion instruments, from gamĕl, to play a percussion instrument.
 

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