Sindu Arsa (score)

Sindu Arsa was composed in 1987 for a competition at ASTI (now STSI), the Academy of Music and Dance in Denpasar, Bali. The work is in kebyar style, but written for the smaller four-tone angklung orchestra rather than a full gong kebyar ensemble. It was the only piece for angklung entered in the competition, and it won first prize. Originally, Sindu Arsa made use of the traditional bamboo rattles for which gamelan angklung is named. In recent years, these rattles are seldom used in this type of ensemble, having been gradually replaced by gangsa. Partha employed both groups of instruments in the piece: the gangsa for the kotekan figuration and the bamboo instruments as a doubling for the jegogan melodies—the slower moving pokok tones.