Solonese gamelan (karawitan gaya Surakarta) is the courtly Javanese gamelan tradition centered in the city of Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, Indonesia. It is renowned for its alus (refined) aesthetic, smooth ensemble blend, and carefully shaded dynamics.
The style employs the two Javanese tuning systems—sléndro and pélog—organized by pathet (modal frameworks), and articulated through colotomic forms such as ketawang, ladrang, lancaran, and larger gendhing types. A core balungan (skeletal melody) is elaborated by families of instruments (bonang, gender, gambang, rebab, suling, celempung) and guided by kendhang (drums), with voices from a female soloist (sindhen) and male chorus (gerong). Its pacing and irama (temporal density levels) foster a deeply flowing, contemplative character distinct from related Central Javanese styles.
Following the 18th‑century establishment of Surakarta (Solo) as a successor court of Mataram, royal patronage at the Kasunanan Surakarta and Mangkunegaran palaces fostered a distinctive court gamelan style. By the late 1700s and 1800s, repertory, etiquette, and aesthetics coalesced into what is now called Solonese gamelan—marked by alus (refined) sound ideals, smooth ensemble blend, and meticulous control of tempo and dynamics.
Court musicians and scholars systematized concepts of pathet (modal framework), irama (temporal density), and gendhing forms (ketawang, ladrang, lancaran, and large gendhing). Treatises and palace archives documented gong cycles, drumings (kendhangan), and elaborating patterns, while ritual and dance genres (e.g., bedhaya, srimpi) reinforced ceremonial use and repertory continuity.
In the 20th century, institutions like ASKI/STSI/ISI Surakarta formalized pedagogy, training generations of musicians and composers. Masters such as Martopangrawit and later Rahayu Supanggah advanced performance practice and composition. Radio, records, and international tours made the Surakarta sound audible far beyond Java, and diaspora ensembles adopted Solonese repertoire and technique.
University gamelan programs worldwide often model their tuning, repertoire, and garap (interpretive approach) on Solonese practice. Contemporary composers write new gendhing in Surakarta style, integrate it with theater and dance, or collaborate across genres, while palace and conservatory ensembles maintain the core ceremonial and concert traditions.
Use the standard Central Javanese court ensemble: balungan instruments (saron demung, saron barung, slenthem), colotomic gongs (gong ageng, gong suwukan, kenong, kempul, kethuk, kempyang), elaborating instruments (bonang barung/panerus, gender barung/panerus, gambang, celempung, rebab, suling), and vocals (sindhen and gerong). Drumming (kendhang ageng, kendhang ciblon, kendhang ketipung) shapes tempo, transitions, and character.
Choose a tuning system (sléndro or pélog) and a pathet (e.g., sléndro nem/sanga/manyura or pélog nem/lima/barang). Select a form—ketawang (16‑beat gongan), ladrang (32‑beat gongan), lancaran (16‑beat, faster), or a larger gendhing. Sketch the balungan (skeletal melody) to outline phrase structure and cadences at kenong and gong points.
Decide the irama level (from lancar to rangkep) to set density relationships. Elaborate the balungan with appropriate cengkok and sekaran on bonang and gender; use rebab and suling for lyrical leading tones and cadential cues. Maintain alus blend—avoid overly percussive attacks and let resonance carry the line.
Select kendhangan patterns suited to the piece (kalih for dignified flow, ciblon for dance/heroic character). Shape dynamics subtly—Solonese style favors smooth crescendi and careful soft playing. Add sindhenan (solo female) with flexible, texted melodic lines and gerongan (male chorus) for set poetic stanzas; align text with pathetal cadences.
Treat composition as a framework for garap (informed interpretation): cue transitions, vary irama, and choose ornamentation according to context (concert, dance, ritual). Keep tuning coherence between sléndro and pélog sets, and observe courtly pacing—measured, balanced, and refined.
