Last
time we looked at an example exoticism in chamber music, using Debussy’s Syrinx as an example. Exoticism is the
evocation of a distant land, by use of borrowed melodies, native instruments,
etc. Today, let’s look at how Ravel uses an exotic element in his String
Quartet in F Major (1902–1903).
Have
you heard of Javanese Gamelan music? This is a term used for an Indonesian
orchestra, made up of many instruments, particularly percussion. Many gamelan
instruments are specific to certain regions and may have existed there for
centuries. Below, you can see an example of a gamelan. Note how expansive it is
and how many people it may take to perform:
Often,
Western composers would attempt to depict the sounds of Javanese Gamelan in
their own compositions—an exotic technique. Ravel did this in the second
movement of his String Quartet in F Major. As you listen below, note the
pizzicatos and cross-rhythms Ravel incorporates in order to depict what
scholars believe to be bells or a gamelan.
Join
me next week as we look at exoticism in orchestral music!
