5/11/2021 0 Comments Thai Old Country Music
The public culture of Bangkok was transformed by Italian architects and sculptors who were hired early in the 20th century to build new official buildings and national monuments.There are three types of orchestral groups for Thai classical music: a percussion-dominated ensemble, pi phat, which performs at court ceremonies and in the theatre; a string-dominated ensemble, kruang sai, typically heard in indoor instrumental settings; and mahori, a mixed ensemble that often accompanies vocalists, sometimes in the context of theatre.
Thai classical music is also often used as an accompaniment to classical dance such as khon. The music played by the classical orchestras essentially uses a scale of seven equidistant tone-steps, although vocalists and instruments without fixed pitch may sometimes use additional tones. Ravana (Totsakan) the demon king fighting the white monkey Hanuman, in khon masked dance, Thailand. Although the traditions nearly disappeared between the 1930s and 60s, the 70s brought a revival. Thai music became a field of study at the university level, and several specialized high schools were established to train classical musicians and dancers. Now sustained primarily through the public educational system, Thai classical music can be heard frequently and at numerous venues throughout the country as well as on television. Also popular are modified versions of Western pop, rock, and rap music. Because most of the working class of Bangkok and other urban centres came originally from rural northeastern Thailand, a synthesis of traditional northeastern Thai music known as mawlam and Western pop music enjoys a wide audience in the cities. This music is distinguished by the use of a khaen, a traditional wood-and-bamboo mouth organ that has become a symbol of northeastern Thai (and Lao) culture. In the cities, however, Western forms of dance predominate, especially in the nightclubs. Some of the most beautiful older wat structures are to be found in Ayutthaya, the capital from the 14th to the 18th century, and in Chiang Mai. The framework of a wat is usually made of wood, while its walls consist of brick and plaster. The ornamental parts of the structure are often adorned with glass mosaic, gold leaf, porcelain, stucco, lacquer, and inlaid mother-of-pearl. Remnants of the original palaces and temples can still be seen in many of the old provincial centres. In Chiang Mai, numerous Buddhist temples are scattered inside and outside the ancient city walls, which are still standing. Even newer ritual and ceremonial halls typically incorporate traditional designs, including curved finials, high-pitched roofs, intricately carved doors and windows, and stairways flanked by naga, or giant snakes. Images continue to be produced in large numbers, primarily for religious purposes, although some are soldoften accompanied by claims that they are genuine antiquesto tourists. Many images are gilded with gold leaf; the gilding of Buddhist images and temples is believed to bring religious merit. The paintings, executed by anonymous monks or dedicated laypeople, are usually drawn on temple walls. Many wat contain mural paintings depicting the life of the Buddha or other Buddhist stories. Painted lacquer panel of a court scene, 19th-century Thailand. Italian influences were particularly significant for the development of modern art and architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |