Gamelan gong gede Gamelan gong gede Gamelan gong gede, meaning "gamelan with the large gongs", is a form of the ceremonial gamelan music of Bali, dating from the court society of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, associated historically with public ceremonies and special occasions such as temple festivals. Usually performed by a temple orchestra of over forty musicians, music written for the gong gede is sedate and graceful, following an andante tempo. It fluctuates in cycles, one fast, one slow, one loud, and one soft. The beat is provided by the largest gong. During their colonization of Bali in the late nineteenth century,
Gamelan Sekaten are "Kyai Guntur Madu" and "Kyai Guntur Sari". According to Benjamin Brinner, the "gamelan sekaten", exists in halves: divided between the two rival courts in Surakarta and Yogyakorta, each court had a matching second half made. The pitches of the "Sekaten" ensemble is in "pelog", but lower than standard ensembles today. According to Benjamin Brinner it is the lowest pitched, largest, and loudest ensemble in Java. In recent times the gamelan at ISI Surakarta commissioned a special "Sekaten" set that would be compatible with their other gamelan, to be used in new experimental compositions. Historically, the "Sekaten" ensemble is notable