Cultural Fusion: The Gamelan Experience

Wed, January 23, 2019 – 7:30 pm

We’ll tell the story of the 1889 Paris Exposition (the one with the Eiffel Tower), which introduced Claude Debussy to the hypnotic fragrance of Indonesian music and dance –an introduction that transformed Western music via Debussy and countless other composers.

Program

• Javanese gamelan with dancers
• Debussy: Pagodas (solo piano)
• Balinese gamelan with dancers
• Colin McPhee: Ceremonial Dances (two pianos)
• Maurice Ravel: Vallée des cloches (solo piano)
• Francis Poulenc: Sonata for Two Pianos (movement one)
• Olivier Messiaen: Vision de l’amen (movement one, two pianos)
• Bill Alves: Black Toccata (piano duet, D.C. premiere)
• Intermission — Balinese gamelan
• Lou Harrison: Suite for violin, piano, and chamber orchestra
• Lou Harrison: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

Artists

• Benjamin Pasternack and Wan-Chi Su, pianos
• Netanel Draiblate, violin
• Indonesian Embassy Balinese and Javanese gamelans and dancers
• PostClassical Ensemble conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez
• Commentary by Bill Alves and Joe Horowitz

Practical information

• Phone: 202-537-6200
• Venue: Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016

News / Reviews

• El concierto de PostClassical Ensemble de Gil-Ordóñez, entre los mejores de 2019 según Washington Classical Review — Beckmesser, published on January 28, 2020
• Top Ten Performances of 2019 — Washington Classical Review, published on December 23, 2019
• Music from Paradise — WWFM Classical, published on April 05, 2019
• Lou Harrison and The Great American Piano Concerto – Reprised — ArtsJournal, published on February 08, 2019
• An Earful of Indonesian Inspiration — The Georgetowner, published on February 08, 2019
• Indonesia and the West — The American Scholar, published on January 31, 2019
• Does Indonesia matter to Western music? Here’s a 3-hour concert that proves it does — The Washington Post, published on January 24, 2019
• PostClassical Ensemble Hosts Indonesia Gamelan Experience at Washington Cathedral — The Washington Diplomat, published on January 13, 2019

Photos

Latest performances

1. Frank Huang & Phillip Ying Play Mozart
   07/14/2023—07/14/2023
2. Schubert's “La Grande”
   06/09/2023—06/09/2023
3. Entwined: A double feature
   04/19/2023—04/19/2023
4. Celebrate the world of the American art song
   03/13/2023—03/13/2023
5. The Jacobs School of Music Chamber Orchestra plays Frolyak, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven
   03/08/2023—03/08/2023

View all performances