Thailand: Ceremonial And Court Music From Central Thailand CD

Thai music is of diverse origins: Indian, Burmese, and others. Their use of gongs, for example, comes from the Khmer. Thai music is a heterophonic music, which means that all instruments play the same melody, each with its own particular ornamentations or embellishments, giving the music a particular character. Two musicians on the same instrument can even produce these embellishment differently from one another. Moreover, the scale in Thai music differs greatly from Western music. Their scale is divided into approximately seven equidistant pitches, thus sounding out of tune to our ears. Thai phat ensembles can use a large number of different instruments, but the main ones are the ranats, xylophones made either of wooden or iron bars. They also use double-reed wind instruments, flute, lute, fiddle, zither, and percussion. On this CD, listeners hear different ensembles with different combinations of instruments and for different occasions. ~ Bruno Deschênes

an introduction to this beautiful music played on khong (gong) & ranat (xylophone) - phats (bands) from several musical centers in Thailand play the ceremonial, court & entertainment music of Siam, including examples of rarely-circulated cremation music

Directors: Charoen Kupka; Paitoon Cheycharoen; Saman Keawla Eat; Pramou Krutsing; Pinit Chaisuwan.

Editor: Mark Greenberg.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Pum Peypowyen; Jongkol Peapong; Suriya Chittoum; Juruwan Pratompatama; Opas Nakpinphat.

Personnel: Pum Peypowyen, Opas Nakpinphat (khlui); Jongkol Peapong, Keawla Eat (ranat ek, ranat thum); Danai Mongyewya, Sakchai Ladda On, Suradej Kimpim, Pinit Chaisuwan, Wipas Krutsing, Wibuntham Pianpong (ranat ek); Sompong Peypowyen, Somrang Berkban, Pairat Channaj, Chaiya Dhontricharean, Pachen Kongchok (ranat thum).

Recording information: Bangkok Police Reacreation B; Fine Arts Department, Instrumental Room; South Bangkok City Hall, Instrument Room.