L’(autre) fille aux cheveux de Bali
Chinese string trio, vibraphone and an ensemble of Solonese, Balinese and Burmese metallophones (1 er hu, 1 zhong hu, 1 ge hu, 6 percussionists: vibraphone + Balinese jegog + kempuls [suwuk slendro 2, slendro 3, slendro 5]; gender slendro barung and panerus + ceng ceng; gender pelog barung nem and slentem slendro + kenong pelog 1 + high kecer; all bonangs + kenong slendro 6 + low kecer; sarun slendro panerus + pelog panerus + triangle; sarun slendro barung + pelog barung and demung + small suspended cymbal)
Programme notes
Composers like to play with time. Hidden in Casteels’ secret garden, Bali is the isle joyeuse, or happy island, where Casteels imagines meeting Claude and Béla. L’(autre) fille aux cheveux de Bali is derived from the transcreation of Béla Bartók’s Bali szigetén from Mikrosmos with Claude-Achille Debussy’s prelude la fille aux cheveux de lin. L’(autre) fille aux cheveux de Bali was commissioned by the Contemporary Asian Arts Centre and performed at its official launch in 2002.
Completion of the composition
1-IV-2002
Two academic papers
- see Postcolonial Affect: Ambiguous relationality in Casteels's L'(autre) fille aux cheveux de Bali by Gavin Lee (2015) under Articles
- see Scions of the Musical West by Gavin S.K. Lee (2009) under Articles
Recording
link #1 audio of the premiere
see black cover logbook #2
Score follower
link #2
Quote
"Casteels’ rejection of serious intent enables him to ‘play’ with musical cultures –arguably- without privileging one or the other. He shows an irreverent attitude towards the Western canon, distorting the music with ethnic instruments that have tuning systems jarringly different from their temperament. The ethnic instruments used are abstracted from their traditions, yet point cheekily to their original cultures"
Lee Shin-Kang, Singapore
Cover created by AI [2025]
Duration:
4' 10"
Composed In:
2002
Dedicated to:
Parts:
For score, parts and CD Kreisleriana (track 1), please email <rc@robertcasteels.com>
First performance:
16.04.02 Sculpture Square, Singapore, for the inauguration of the Contemporary Asian Arts Centre
First performed by:
Commissioned by:
The Contemporary Asian Arts Centre
979-0-9025005-9-3
Download Link: