UKRAINIAN BELL CAROL for two pianos, eight hands

"UKRAINIAN BELL CAROL"
(for 2 pianos 8 hands)
Rearr. Jelia Megawati Heru

Listen "Ukrainian Bell Carol" for 2 pianos, 8 hands HERE
 

Listen "Ukrainian Bell Carol" in youtube

BRIEF HISTORY

Ukrainian Bell Carol is written based on Ukrainian folk song, 

The melody was created for choir in 1916 by Ukrainian composer 

Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921) and titled "Shchedryk", means "bountiful."
adapted by Peter J. Wilhousky as a "Carol of the Bells" 

Based on an old Ukrainian folk song, 

the original lyrics describes the swallow flying 

into a household to proclaim the plentiful year that the family will have. 

The swallow is a herald of spring coming, possibly of pre-Christian origins. 

The folk melody was sung in many Ukrainian villages 

on Jan. 13 – New Year's Eve on the Julian calendar 

– usually by adolescent girls going house to house in celebration of the new year.

The title chosen by him "Carol of the Bells" 

was harmonious with the old Slavic legend 

that at midnight the evening Jesus was born 

all the bells on earth started to sound of their own accord in his honor. 

Since then the song has become a popular Christmas tune 

especially in the US and Canada where it is also known as "Ukrainian Carol"

PIECE ANALYSIS

Leontovych originally created the piece as an assignment for a harmony course.

He was taking by correspondence to demonstrate the use of a four-note known as ostinato. The ostinato motif, a repeated four-note pattern within the range of a minor third, is thought to be of prehistoric origins. a New Year's chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk" [the Generous One]. 

The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device, known as hemiola, in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). 

This device however is lost in the English translations and rarely is used in non-Ukrainian or instrumental performances.The original work was intended to be sung a cappella by mixed four-voice choir. 

Two other settings of the composition were also created by Leontovych: one for women's choir (unaccompanied) and another for children's choir with piano accompaniment. These are rarely performed or recorded. 

The choral work Shchedryk was first performed by students at Kiev University in December 1916. When American choir director and arranger Peter Wilhousky (1902-1978) heard Leontovich's choral work, it reminded him of bells; so he wrote new lyrics to convey that imagery for his choir. 

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"Kemben" - The Exotic Indonesian Piano Composition

"KEMBEN" 

THE EXOTIC INDONESIAN PIANO COMPOSITION

by: Michael Gunadi Widjaja

Kemben becomes the central theme of this composition. 

In other words, it is about the sensuality of woman. 

The sensual part, but always covered. 

As a matter of composition, this composition develops an affection of women sexual charm.

The composition consists of three parts:
• Opening
• Keroncong romance
• Dangdut hot

The opening used the pentatonic. The concept is a “Manunggaling Kawula Gusti” or “Mandala” - from a small universe evolved into a more complex conception of the valuable (adiluhung). Theme of primo 1 is repeated with varied rhythmic, that enriched by secondo 1, primo 2, and secondo 2. Octave parallels are intended to give the impression of a theatrical, that: this is a veil of life - women, with their charm of sexual.

The second part - Keroncong Romance, is about the nature of women. Timid creatures, spoiled, soft, and gentle. The impression is woman who wears kemben, walking apace, squinting eyes, a faint smile, and her hair is slightly damp.

The third part - Hot Dang Dut, describes woman as timid creatures, spoiled, soft, smooth, but in the sublime way it can be wild in lust and sexual dreams. That is why in this section is used a "deconstructive" landscape. Because when she is in lust and wild sexually, there’s no more norm, no more rules - only a single and static harmony to indicate a state of "trance" in crisis lust. 

In Javanese tradition music composition, there’s typical this kind of harmony in DOLALAK of Banyumas, Sintren of Tegal, and Jathilan of Solo. Impressions in this section are: woman with kemben, seated, with her hands holding the hair, exposing a hairy armpit as a reflection of the wild lust. Then the women were swaying in a trance state, covered with fragrant sandalwood, while the kemben sags.

Hear "KEMBEN" HERE
 

Get the score HERE

"KEMBEN"

(for two pianos, eight hands)

by: Michael Gunadi Widjaja

Performed by: Golden Fingers Piano Ensemble

Pianolicious Moment @ Istituto Italiano, October 7th, 2012

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Medley Indonesian Folk Songs for Piano Ensembles

Medley Indonesian Folk Songs
"Soleram - Warung Podjok - Yamko Rambe Yamko"
(for two pianos, eight hands)
Arr. Michael Gunadi Widjaja

This Medley is arranged for Golden Fingers Piano Ensembles

in soft opening Taman Budaya Tegal, Central Java

ABOUT GOLDEN FINGERS PIANO ENSEMBLES

Golden Fingers Piano Ensembles is directed by Jelia Megawati Heru.

She created event that showcased the young teachers 

that she developed to participate in her music program. 

The Golden Fingers is not just a usual piano ensembles group, 

but a pilot project to implement the concept of “Music from Passion”. 

Jelia believes that the piano ensemble is not only about playing piano together, 

but it is an actual effort to liven up the music.  

Golden Fingers Piano Ensembles was invited by 

the Tegal Council of Arts on March 4th, 2012 at Taman Budaya Tegal, Central Java 

– as the soft opening for the most representative cultural arena theater of the city 

with capacity of 1000 seats, professional lighting, and stage. 

Read Golden Fingers Piano Ensembles Reportage

on KAWAI Newsletter No. 29, 2012 (distributed all over the world):

http://piano-ensembles.blogspot.com/2012/06/golden-fingers-kawai-newsletter-no-29.html

Listen "Medley Indonesian Folk Songs" HERE 

Get the score HERE

MEDLEY INDONESIAN FOLK SONGS

"Soleram - Warung Podjok - Ramko Rambe Yamko"
(for 2 pianos, 8 hands)

Arr. Michael Gunadi Widjaja

Pianolicious Moment @ Istituto Italiano, October 7th, 2012

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Jelia's Twinkle - Twinkle Little Stars ala Indonesia

  "JELIA's TWINKLE"
(for two pianos, eight hands)
by Michael Gunadi Widjaja

The TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

is one of the most famous songs for many decades.

Its origin is a lullaby. A Nursery song with the lyric of old English poem, 

that created by Jane Taylor.

COMPOSITORICAL NOTES

(from Mr. Michael Gunadi Widjaja)

The melody of this piece is stepping in common interval. 

So children can relatively easy to sing out this piece. 

The harmony structure seems like giving some kind of “open space” to being explored. 

This may be one cause of why the twinkles composed in many different forms of music, include as a lesson song.

Jelia asked me to make an attractive and unique arrangement 

for this twinkle that contains love, passion, 

and true friendship among her Suzuki colleagues. 

So I choose a popular music format for theme structure with kind of dissonant chordal. 

It expresses the meaning that friendship is not always going to be smooth.

In the second movement, 

I used one of the early Jazz form “RAGTIME” 

as a manifestation of dynamic relation.

In Jazz someone can share the musical passion 

to each other in jam session, just like friendship.

In the third movement, there is Dang Dut. 

Focused on the fact that it may contain many tradition elements. 

As if to remind that friendship never be loose from its cultural root. 

In the other side, Dang Dut is sexy, erotic, and passionate. 

In other words, this is Jelia’s Twinkle, 

 that has a lot of side – 

still has the virtuosity in true friendship, 

but also very passionate and exciting.

I call it a composition, even the theme is not mine.

Format: Piano Ensembles - 2 pianos, 8 hands 

Listen "Jelia's Twinkle" HERE  
 

Get the music score HERE

"JELIA's TWINKLE"

(for 2 pianos, 8 hands)

by Michael Gunadi Widjaja

Pianolicious Moment @ Istituto Italiano, October 6th, 2012

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