Program: Ramayana - A Dance Drama

The concert opens with a composition by Poedijono which reflects his interpretation of Melbourne’s Yarra River. Although a ‘new creation’, this piece is in a traditional form called lancaran, which is usually played with a lively feeling.

This dance traditionally performed by women in the villages was later adopted and refined by the royal Javanese courts. Some movements are stylisations of everyday actions while others are more abstract. Dancers: NANING FORSYTH and MARIA ULFA.

This suite of pieces is an example of klenengan or listen music and illustrates a variety of forms and playing styles. It begins with the slow and stately Gambir Sawit. This is followed by Sri Karongron which is played first at a quick tempo and then slows dramatically. The final piece is Lumbung Desa which is a lagu dolanan or light song, written by Narta Sabdha, about harvest time.

Rama is the son of King Dasarata of Ayodya and the king’s the first wife, Kalsayu, and is the rightful heir to the throne. However Rama, his wife Sinta, and his brother Laksmana, have been banished to the forest of Tandaka for twelve years, because King Dasarata’s second wife, Kekayi, has demanded that her son, Barata, be made heir. In the forest, Sarpakanaka, the sister of the demon king Rahwana, has seen Rama and fallen in love with him, but Rama has rejected her advances. Enraged, she flees to her brother and demands revenge. The performance opens in Rahwana’s palace in Alangka where he and his servant Marica are plotting vengeance against Rama.

· Music	Narrative
· Lancaran / Ladrang Nyi Gemi Raras	Overture

Rahwana’s palace in Alangka
· Lancaran Gandem	The demon king Rahwana is in his palace in Alangka with his servant Marica in attendance.
· Srepegan Bagelen	Rahwana and Marica hatch a plot to kidnap Sinta as revenge against Rama.
· Gangsaran 5	Rahwana and Marica depart from the palace.

Rama’s home in the forest of Tandaka
· Ketawang Langen Gita	We are introduced to Rama, Sinta, and Laksmana who have been living in exile in the forest. In the background, Rahwana and Marica appear. As the first step in his plan, Rahwana turns Marica into a golden deer.
· Kidang Emas	The golden deer appears before the three exiles, prancing nimbly through the forest. Sinta is taken by its sweet appearance. The three of them try to catch it, but cannot and the deer runs off.
· Welasan	Sinta asks Rama to hunt for the golden deer and capture it for her to have as a pet. Rama departs to fulfil his wife request, leaving Laksmana to guard her. After some time Sinta hears a scream and is worried that Rama is in danger. She asks Laksmana to go into the forest to look for Rama. At first Laksmana is reluctant because Rama had ordered him to guard Sinta. In the end he has no choice but to do what Sinta has asked.

· Gangsaran 1	Laksmana draws a magic circle around Sinta to protect her. He then departs to look for Rama, instructing Sinta not to move outside the circle for even a moment.
· Lancaran Gidrah	After Laksmana has left, Rahwana appears and tries to grab Sinta. He is stopped by the magic circle and becomes enraged. Sinta feels distressed and trapped by Rahwana’s attacks and in desperation tries to deflect his rage with a slap of her scarf.
· Gangsaran 1	In the instant that Sinta’s scarf passes over the protective line of the magic circle, Rahwana grabs it. He pulls Sinta into his clutches and abducts her, just as he has planned.

Deep in the forest of Tandaka
· Pancer loro	Rama has been hunting for the golden deer. When he finally finds it, the golden deer is too nimble and Rama cannot capture it for Sinta. Out of frustration, Rama finally reaches for his bow and arrow and shoots the golden deer.
· Gangsaran 1	The moment Rama shoots the golden deer, it turns back into Marica and Rama realises he has been tricked. Laksmana appears. Rama is very distressed and asks why Laksmana has left Sinta unattended. Rama and Laksmana rush back to where they had left Sinta but she is, of course, gone.
· Welasan	A piece of jewellery they find on the ground confirms that she has been abducted in a struggle.
· Gangsaran 1	Rama and Laksmana set off to find Sinta.

On the way to Rahwana’s kingdom of Alangka
· Lancaran Srawung	We meet Jatayu, one of the great garuda birds, who is soaring through the air.
· Srepegan Bagelen	Suddenly Jatayu is interrupted by the appearance of Rahwana, who is flying home to Alangka with the kidnapped Sinta. Jatayu rescues Sinta, but Rahwana attacks, mortally wounding Jatayu in the ensuing battle. Rahwana recaptures Sinta and takes her to Alangka.

· Gangsaran 5	Rama and Laksmana are not far behind and they find the wounded Jatayu. Just before he dies, Jatayu tells Rama what happened. Rama and Laksmana pray while Jatayu’s soul rises to heaven.

In the forest
· Lancaran Cincin	Anoman, general of the monkey army, is playing in the forest, when Rama and Laksmana come upon him. They tell him what has happened and ask Anoman to help search for Sinta. Rama gives Anoman his ring to show Sinta as proof that Anoman has been sent by Rama.
· Gangsaran 5	Anoman departs for Alangka to search for Sinta.

In the garden of Rahwana’s palace in Alangka
· Lancaran Gebyar	Trijata, Rahwana’s niece is in the garden of Rahwana’s palace with her maid servant.
· Ketawang Jayakusuma Slendro Manyura	Sinta enters the garden. Anoman arrives and tells Sinta that Rama and Laksmana are on their way to rescue her, giving her Rama’s ring as evidence that he can be trusted. Sinta then gives Anoman her hairpin as a sign for Rama. Anoman sets Rahwana’s capital city on fire.
· Sprepegan Slendro Manyura	Two of Rahwana’s ogre soldiers enter and see the capital in ruins. They are enraged and attack Anoman, who defeats them. Rama and Laksmana and fight with Rahwana. who is eventually killed.
· Gangsaran 2	Sinta and Rama are reunited.

· Ladrang Nyi Gemi Raras	Reprise of the overture

Our performance ends on this happy note. However, in the complete cycle of the Ramayana epic, Rama and Sinta did not live happily ever after. After rescuing Sinta, Rama suspects that she may not have been able to resist her captor’s advances. However, after Sinta is subjected to an ordeal by fire, she is proved innocent. On returning to the kingdom of Ayodya, Rama becomes king in place of his half brother, Barata. However, his people remain suspicious of Sinta’s virtue. Yielding to public pressure, Rama banishes Sinta to the forest, where she soon gives birth to his twin children, unbeknownst to Rama. Several years later, Rama meets Lawa and Kusa. Recognising them as his sons, Rama repents and asks Sinta to return to him. Sinta however, having endured too much already, refuses and appeals to the Goddess of the Earth, who receives her through a cleft in the ground

Poedijono	Director and Choreographer
Lynne Dean	Stage Manager
Keith Harper	Sound and Lighting
Merthi Poedijono and Julie Suwitra	Costumes and Make up

Poedijono	Rahwana
Chendra Effendy Panatan	Marica
Naning Forsyth	Rama
Maria Ulfa	Laksmana
Mutti (Atid) Page	Sinta
Lily Suwitra	Golden deer
Ronnie Takdare	Jatayu
Brett Hough	Anoman
Emma Brand	Trijata
Christina Russell	Dayang-dayang
Ketut Suwitra	Raksasa
Mohammad Ghozie Indra Dalel	Raksasa

Michelle Abbott	slenthem
Michael Ewing	gambang
Katherine Fryar	bonang penerus
Linda Hibbs	bonang barung
Tata Kristanta	gong / kempul
Henny Kwee	saron
Arthur Lipscombe	kendhang
Robert McMullen	peking
Keith Morgan	saron demung
Helen Pausacker	saron / narrator
Christobel Say	gerong
Ria Soemardjo	saron / pesindhen
Nick Thieberger	saron / suling
Matthew Watts	kenong / ketuk
Ilona Wright	gender

Mr Boedidojo, Consul General, and Mrs Wahyu Hersetiati, Vice Consul, Indonesian Consulate General, Melbourne; Dr Cathy Falk, Deputy Dean, Music Faculty, University of Melbourne; Mr Alan and Ms Kirstin Hibbs, bookings; Ms Viv Winter of Macmillan Education Australia; Mr Felix Chandrasaputra of Ramayana Indonesia Restaurant and Laguna Supermarket; and Mrs Tri Mardjuki of Java Halal Food Catering.

Gamelan music is among the most well known of the hundreds of traditional performing art forms found among the cultures in the Republic of Indonesia. The term gamelan refers to the entire set of instruments as well as to the music played on them or the group who plays them. The most popular form of gamelan in Central Java today is that associated with the refined cultural traditions of the royal courts. Gamelan is important in both formal ceremonies and popular entertainment and performances of gamelan are an integral part of many auspicious occasions.

The members of the Melbourne Community Gamelan come from diverse backgrounds but have been brought together by their love of gamelan and have been studying and performing for a number of years under the direction of Poedijono. We would like to express our thanks to Dr Cathy Falk and to the University of Melbourne Faculty of Music for their support of Indonesian performing arts in Australia, and for providing us with practice space and instruments. We would like to thank the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia for the loan of the instruments we are playing this evening. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please let us know (see addresses below).

The images of reliefs from the Prambanan temple complex are from: Claire Holt, Art in Indonesia: Continuities and Change. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1967.

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

72 Queens Road

Melbourne

FACULTY OF MUSIC

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Victoria 3010

MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA

HALAL JAVA FOOD

276 Clayton Road,

Clayton, Vic. 3168

Telephone : (03) 9548 7022

Eat-in - Takeaway - Catering Service

RAMAYANA INDONESIAN RESTAURANT

40-42 Glenferrie Road, Malvern 3144,

Telephone (03) 9509 7799

Also Catering Delivery Service

LAGUNA ORIENTAL & INDONESIAN SUPERMARKET

772 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn 3122

Telephone: (03) 9818 5581

Comprehensive selection of groceries and spices.