Ensemble Gending in Cologne

Ensemble Gending played on 19th of February 2006 at the invitation of Deutschlandfunk in Cologne four premieres and three old acquaintances. From Roderik De Man his ‘Antara Benua dan Benua’ was played in premiere. In this piece a poem is wrapped up in whirling patterns, which are so typical for the style of De Man. From Jonas Bisquert ‘Nina Bobok Bagi Pengantin’ was played. Bisquert studied in Indonesie, which was audible in this piece in which tradition and innovation went hand in hand. The third premiere was a piece of Philemon Mukarna, an Indonesian composer, living in Holland. His piece for gamelan and electronics is an intense experience of fear of death: ‘Malaikat’, which means Angel. As throw-out Klaus Kuiper wrote a piece in which the whole gamelan was unwrapped entitled: ‘Celana’ (Trousers).
The three pieces Gending played in earlier programmes were: Kaleidoscope of Sinta Wullur, Cannibal Mass of Jacob ter Veldhuis and Angstzweet of Paul Bruinen.