Puspawarna
Encyclopedia
Puspawarna is a gamelan
composition famous in Central Java
. It is a ketawang
in slendro
pathet
manyura. Thus the full title of the piece is Ketawang Puspawarna Laras Slendro Pathet Manyura. As manyura is the final pathet in a wayang
performance, the mood it evokes is of ripeness or fulfillment.
The piece is performed for the entrance of the prince. The text refers to different kinds of flowers, each symbolizing a different rasa. The text and melody are attributed to Prince Mangkunegara IV
of Surakarta
(reigned 1853-1881), to commemorate his favorite wives and concubines.
A recording of Puspawarna by the court gamelan of Paku Alaman, Yogyakarta, directed by K.R.T. Wasitodipuro (now K.P.H. Natoprojo), recorded by Robert E. Brown
, was included on the Voyager Golden Record
, which was sent on the Voyager 1
spacecraft as a greeting to whatever extraterrestrials may find it. The recording is also available on the album Java: Court Gamelan (originally released in 1971). According to the note by Brown in the reissued version of that CD, "Puspawarna" was one of Carl Sagan
's favorites on the record.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble 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. Vocalists may also be included....
composition famous in Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
. It is a ketawang
Ketawang
The ketawang is one of the gendhing structures used in Javanese gamelan music.Its colotomic structure is:where p indicates the strike of the kempyang, T the ketuk, P the kempul, N the kenong, and G the simultaneous stroke of the gong and kenong. The W indicates the wela, the pause where the kempul...
in slendro
Slendro
Slendro is a pentatonic scale, one of the two most common scales used in Indonesian gamelan music, the other being pélog.-Tuning:...
pathet
Pathet
The pathet is an organizing concept in gamelan music. It is difficult to explain, but is similar to the melody types, that is, for example, modes, ragas, or maqamat, of other musics....
manyura. Thus the full title of the piece is Ketawang Puspawarna Laras Slendro Pathet Manyura. As manyura is the final pathet in a wayang
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
performance, the mood it evokes is of ripeness or fulfillment.
The piece is performed for the entrance of the prince. The text refers to different kinds of flowers, each symbolizing a different rasa. The text and melody are attributed to Prince Mangkunegara IV
Mangkunegara IV
Mangkunegara IV was the fourth ruler of Mangkunegaran, a small Principality based in Surakarta, Java, ruling from 1853-1881. His title before ascending was Pangeran Adipati....
of Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
(reigned 1853-1881), to commemorate his favorite wives and concubines.
A recording of Puspawarna by the court gamelan of Paku Alaman, Yogyakarta, directed by K.R.T. Wasitodipuro (now K.P.H. Natoprojo), recorded by Robert E. Brown
Robert E. Brown
Robert E . "Bob" Brown was an ethnomusicologist who is credited with coining the term "world music" . He was also well known for his recordings of music from Indonesia...
, was included on the Voyager Golden Record
Voyager Golden Record
The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
, which was sent on the Voyager 1
Voyager 1
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA in 1977, to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space. Operating for as of today , the spacecraft receives routine commands and transmits data back to the Deep Space Network. At a distance of as of...
spacecraft as a greeting to whatever extraterrestrials may find it. The recording is also available on the album Java: Court Gamelan (originally released in 1971). According to the note by Brown in the reissued version of that CD, "Puspawarna" was one of Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
's favorites on the record.