pulse, tower's music monthly
February, 1996
19902 THE MUSIC OF CAMBODIA
(3 CD BOXED SET) - VARIOUS ARTISTS
This 3–CD set of Cambodian music, compiled by ethnomusicologist
David Parsons, explores sounds seldom heard outside that country. Cambodian
music has a 10–century history, and while some Indian and Indonesian
influences surface, the music has its own flavor. Disc one features
primal Trot vocal music and a Pinpeat gong, oboe and fiddle
group; the players may be "folk" musicians, but the performance
is stunning, similar to Indonesian jaipongan music. Disc two
includes Pinpeat music played by trained court musicians, popular
folk music by a Mahori ensemble, shamanistic Arak ritual music
and solo folk instrumentalists. Disc three continues documenting solo
artists with pieces played on bamboo reeds, using circular breathing
to produce incredibly long sustained notes, and various Cambodian fiddles
and flutes. The erudite liner notes tell you all you need to know about
the players and styles. A dazzling achievement.
|
