For music lovers, Bali holidays can be an enlightening experience, with Balinese performances being rich, unique and rhythmic. Though it is little known, Balinese musical tradition has been influential on western music and throughout the world, and a number of well known composers have incorporated elements of Balinese influence into their works. Traditional Balinese music is as much about spiritual worship as it is about the musical notes. This gives the music a distinctly soulful feel, as the very heart of the melody lies in religious worship.

If you want to experience the interesting, traditional music of Bali, a holiday there offers the opportunity to be entertained by the village orchestras, or ‘gamelan,’ as they are locally called. A gamelan is made up of a number of band members, ranging from only a few to several dozen. The central focus of the gamelan is on percussion, and most of the instrumentalists play instruments such as the xylophone, glockenspiel, metallophones and gongs. But the gamelan is made up of other instruments too, with woodwind and strings incorporated into the compositions.

Bela Bartok and Balinese Music

The famous composer Bela Bartok took an interest in collecting folk music from around Europe, and he was interested in incorporating other musical traditions into western compositions. On hearing a gamelan perform, he was inspired to incorporate Balinese music into his own works, and he wanted to bring this musical form to western audiences. His Bali holiday inspired the composition of his piece No. 109, which was entitled ‘From the Island of Bali.’

Through Bartok, Balinese music became better known throughout Western Europe, and an interest was sparked in western music lovers. This has inspired many to take holidays to Bali, where the combination of staying in a Bali luxury hotel, and enjoying the spiritual performances of the gamelans, results in an exceptional experience.

Colin McPhee and Bali’s Tabuh-Tabuhan: Toccata

Colin McPhee’s chance encounter with a Balinese gamelan in New York sparked his interest in Bali, and his subsequent Bali holiday led him to dedicate a significant amount of time to exploring Balinese music. He lived there for a long period of time and even wrote a book detailing his life in Bali. He has also compiled a Bali holiday guide, detailing everything from hotels in Bali to its vibrant traditional music. While living in Bali, McPhee conducted an ethno-musicological study of the local music, and went on to complete his Tabuh-tabuhan: Toccata, a composition for which he received the Pulitzer Prize.

This unique Balinese work is divided into three movements: Ostinatos, Nocturne and Finale. To perform this work McPhee assembled his own gamelan, which was made up of two pianos and percussion instruments. The work is unique in that it fuses Balinese and western music together, with Balinese motifs in a typically western symphonic work. You will likely recognise these tunes at some point on your Bali holiday, in the music resounding from the temples and in the local village gamelan performances.