Echoes from the Palace

Artist: Sam-Ang Sam Ensemble
Label: Music of the World
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 093785014027
EAN: 0093785014027
ASIN: B000003IT5

Release Date: 1996-02-27

Related Categories:

Cambodia

| Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

General

| International | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Robaim Monosanhchetans
Robaim Tivea Prapey
Robaim Neary Chea Chuor
Roeung Tipp Sangvar
Robaim Me Ambao
Robaim Choun Por
Robaim Chhouy Chhay
Roeung Supheak Leak

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, Excellent Royal Court Music!.......2001-06-07

This cd is one of the most wonderful music ever recorded on royal court music from Cambodia. Sam-Ang-Sam has compiled mostly dance pieces to be recorded in this cd. I found it wonderful since it had songs and music. There was also a booklet regarding each dance and also lyrics both in Khmer and the translation too. Great work as gone into this cd, apart from compiling music from his own orchestra he also compiled two authentic music from the Royal Dance Company of Phnom Penh Cambodia which were great I could hear the music crisp and sharp in their recordings. The instruments were wonderful too.

Basically the pin-peat orchestra would comprise of two bamboo or hardwood keyed xylophones like roneat ek (lead and high in pitch) and roneat thung (low in pitch), and well the roneat dek (metallophone that doesn't feature in these recordings), two gong chimes: khong vong thom (large gong-chime with a low pitch and 12 kettle gongs) and khong vong torch (small gong-chime with a high pitch and 16-18 kettles gongs), two drums skor thom (a pair of large bass drums to highlight the dance gestures or movements as well as themes of battles etc...) and samphor (barrel drum mounted on a horizontal stand used to play the complex rhythm), clappers and metal thick cymbals like chhing ( to keep the beat and are thick and heavy small cymbals to keep the beat) as well as krapp (bamboo clappers that have disappeared many decades ago but making a come back) and two different sized oboes: sralay torch (small oboe with a high pitch) and sralay thom (large oboe with a low and pitch creating a buzzing timbre like that of a bagpipe).

Most music would have vocals of both male and female singer re-accounting the stories of fabled heroes and evil giants with the lust for princesses in distress.

Dance also plays a curcial role in Cambodian court music. There were countless carvings of Apsaras "heavenly or divine angels" all over the ruins of Angkor and states their importance to the Khmer culture at that time as well as today. It was considered an honour to be choosen at the age of 8-10 to perform in the royal court of Cambodia. Mostly the dancers were females dancing male, giants, mermaids and female leads. While men played the roles of giants or ogres, monkeys or clowns. The dancers would enact stories from the ancient Indian Epic like the Ramayana or local Khmer legends with good always destroying evil in the end.

Most of the dancers would have become the kings wives or concubines but that system changed with the 1960s when they started selecting young girls from non royal families to perform at the royal palace. Originally the dancers would have been all related to the king. This changed with the advent of the 20th century.

During the 1970s the dancers have suffered under the Khmer Rouge most of the ancient art forms where destroyed but later were revived with those who were still alive. This cd is a great example of living Khmer art once again back in it's rightful place. Great cd to have on an ancient culture that once ruled all of mainland Indo-China even though the land and civilization has disappeared but not it's powerful form of dance or music that binds the Khmer identity together. So keep up the great work Sam-Ang-Sam... Great talent from his orchestra and vocals too...

excellent.......1999-11-02

This cd is very good because it gives an insight and fine example of Khmer Royal dance, which Cambodia was quite well famous for in it's own country. It was considered an honour to be chosen at the ages of 7 to 9 to be trained in Royal Court dance in Cambodia. The dancers would have gone through vigorious training to perfect each gesture and each hand movement therefore showing that they have control of their bodies and the movements or gestures that they generate in a dance. Khmer classical dance or Royal Court dance is an important link to the Khmer past and it's history going back as far as the Angkor period or even further back right to the beginning of Khmer civilization. Khmer classical dance also has themes such as the forces of good and evil and also trimuph over evil which seemed to be a common theme like in the Reamker which is the Khmer version of the Ramayana and also from other popular Khmer stories. Therefore also showing the link between the gods and man kind and also the supernatural. In their splendour the celestial dancers would perform in front of the king, honouring ancient ancestors and praying for rain. Dressed in their elaborate costumes, of gold and silk, they move like the Apsaras from ancient Angkor. Khmer classical dance is accompanied by the pin-peat orchestra. The orchestra is comprised of wood wind and percussion instruments. Stringed instruments have no place in this orchestra. The orchestra is made up of two wooden xylophones roneat ek (with a higher pitched), roneat thung (with a lower pitched), roneat dek (metallophone which is rarely used now days), khong-vong thom (gong chimes with large gongs), khong-vong toch( gong chimes with smaller gongs), sralay (oboe), ching (metal clappers)which is now replacing the krap (wooden clappers), skor thom (two large bass drums struck with beaters), samphor (barrel drums played with hands)also accompanied by a choir of chant singers who are male and female and can number from two to five or more. Khmer classical dance has surived the Killing Fields and now is on the road to recovery. This cd is excellent because it helps to preserve the dance and it's music therefore it gives the opportunity for future generations to once again hear the music and dance that has made the Khmer people so proud of their country and culture. The cd also comes with information about each tracks and it also includes lyrics and a translation of their meanings in English. Each track is very beautifully record. The music is very slow and relaxing. I recommend this cd for any Khmer classical dance groups who have are problems obtaining very well recorded dance music, and I also recommend it to those who want to hear Khmer classical dance music.

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