Laras Concept and Its Triggers: a Case Study on Garap of Jineman Uler Kambang

Laras is one unresolved aesthetic concept and gendhing garap models as the triggers have not been identified yet either. This paper is a case study which discusses a case of jineman garap Uler Kambang pélog lima, the first winner of Sindhèn Idol contest 2012, which is considered to have the most qualified performance to meet laras criteria. The purpose of this research is to figure out the laras concept construction and identify the gendhing garap models as its triggers. Laras concept reconstruction within the aesthetic framework of Javanese karawitan and identification of gendhing garap model are discussed based on concept of garap in Javanese karawitan. This research uses a qualitative-descriptive method. The results show that laras is a beautiful, delicate, and deep karawitan sense containing elements of mat, lega, betah, adhem, ayem, tentrem, jinem, sengsem, and marem. The triggering gendhing garap models include: garap of leres, rempeg, greget-urip, and sarèh-sumèlèh.

ver, the owners and actors are not in one linguistic understanding to comprehend the laras concept and feel its presence in gendhing. In a competition or contest for example, gendhing is commonly discussed at the end of contest and explicitly used as a quality benchmark of participants' masterpiece works to determine the winners and intensely proceed, yet eventually without solution similar to a Sindhèn Idol 2012 contest case which works on the compulsory material of Jineman Uler Kambang.

Introduction
In this paper, laras is considered as one Javanese karawitan aesthetic sense. Javanese karawitan sense has an important position as the orientation and parameter of gendhing quality and aesthetic channel in obtaining their beautiful essence (Sedyawati, 2006, p. 128). The Javanese art sense is the culmination of aesthetic perception which unifies subjects and objects (Marianto, 2011, p. 154-156). One karawitan sense occupying the position is laras. Laras is frequently attached to gendhing which parts are made in a particular garap model following the characters, performance functions, and applicable garap rules. Howe-the following considerations: (1) its composition is a classical popular gendhing vocabular; (2) its sense is based on prenès and kenès, yet contains glorious and dignified elements favoured by many people; (3) the performance duration is relatively short; and (4) the sindhènan vocal garap is highly emphasized. According to the strength of performance sense, the Garap sindhènan Jineman Uler Kambang Pélog Lima is eventually performed by one of the finalists, Lina Rohmiyati from Wonogiri, Central Java who is supported by the professional karawitan players from several prominent gamelan group members from Semarang, is decided as the first winner among the other nine finalists who have also performed the same sindhènan gendhing vocal, yet followed with different laras and pathêt. Sindhenan is a vocal material containing ricikan garap with elements processed and translated with musical language (Budiarti, 2013).
Laras as a rare aesthetic sense is discussed by various karawitan researchers. There are many discussions made but mostly in the context of sléndro-pélog and only within its tones. Supanggah (2002, p. 86) in Bothékan Karawitan book I briefly defines laras as an aesthetic sense but its relationship formed with gendhing garap is not further discussed, similarly to Sumarsam 1992, p. 1) who starts his dissertation by quoting tembang texts containing the word laras as one karawitan aesthetic sense. Soetarno (2007, p. 13) states that Javanese Karawitan was born from a long searching process symbolically expressed through a vocal medium with laras léndro dan pélog. The performance function is not only intended to meet the entertainment purposes but also social, moral, cultural, and spiritual senses. Javanese gendhing has various basic senses and performance functions (Benamou, 1998, p. 129-134). The disclosure of various basic gendhing senses is made through works, balungan gendhing interpretations, choices, and implementations of vocabular techniques and playing patterns on gendhing parts based on the composition characters and performance functions. When the work is broken, the effort to express the basic sense and to achieve the essence of its beauty fails, as Sultan Agung said in the following Serat Sastra Gendhing. Pramila  Work in Javanese karawitan refers to a creative and systemic musical work consisting of several interconnected and supportive stages to realize the qualified karawitan work. Work also means doing or making things into materials (Supanggah, 2009;Perlman, 1993). The concept contains several elements covering gendhing and balungan gendhing as the material works; pengrawit, wiraswara, and waranggana as the composers; Gamelan as the expressing means; vocabular technique, cengkok, and wiled as the working devices; the authority of people, institutions, social functions and musical services as the work determinants; while the physical and psychological conditions of karawitan musicians and external conditions are situational and accidental as the work consideration.
Gendhing has the elements of irama (rhythm), laya, laras, pathêt, and dynamics. The work refers to the structure and composition of balunngan gendhing tones, composition characters, and performance functions. Irama concept is related to tempo gradations as well as ricikan and vocal playing contents. The gradual gendhing tempo results in the widened and narrowed beating distance between sabetan balungan. Those spaces are filled with ricikan and peking work playing in two folds increased or decreased number of beating. Javanese karawitan has five irama gradations covering lancer symbolized with 1/1, tanggung 1/2, dadi 1/4, wiled 1/8, and rangkep work. Symbol 1/1 shows the number of peking beating on each sabetan balungan gendhing and the symbolic meaning of the other irama gradations (Martapangrawit, 1975, p. 2). Laya is gendhing speed at the same irama gradations, including: laya tamban or slow, laya sedheng or medium, and laya seseg or fast (Supanggah, 2002, p. 123). Laras as the gendhing musical element means that sléndro-pélog musical scales and tones contained within that are written in the form Nut Kepatihan in numeric symbols called titilaras (Sumarsam, 2003, p. 155-161). Pathet is the sèlèh sense atmosphere on gendhing song lyrics made by the phase combinations of raising, lowering, gantungan, ageng tengah, and alit tones (Hastanto, 2009). Dynamics refers to various and proportionate works at all musical elements.
Work in gendhing parts results in its models. Those using on gendhing determine karawitan senses, including laras. This type of aesthetic sense arises from the particular model implementation based on balungan gendhing tone structures and arrangements, composition characters, performance functions, and the applicable working rules. However, laras as an aesthetical concept, abstract idea dealing with karawitan beauty with certain characteristics, has been unresolved (Alfian, 2003, p. 1-3), as well as gendhing garap models as the triggers. Those problems are then discussed through a case study of Jineman Uler Kambang Laras Pélog Pathêt Lima, the first champion of Sindhèn Idol contest 2012 which performance is considered meeting laras criteria. These gendhing garap elements are discussed to figure out the construction of laras concept and gendhing models as its triggers.

Method
The object of this research is the Garap of Jineman Uler Kambang Pélog Lima as the first winner of Sindhèn Idol contest 2012. Sindhènan vocal performed by Lina Rohmiyati while ricikan gamelan is played by the collaboration of some karawitan professional musicians from Semarang, Central Java: Karawitan group of Sekar Dhomas Semarang, Suka Raras Semarang, and Studio RRI Semarang.
Research data are in the form of information about laras elements as the Javanese karawitan aesthetic sense and various aspects of gendhing garap models as the triggers. The first data are collected through literature sources and karawitan practitioners who are directly involved in gendhing garap and as appreciators, while the second ones are contained within the direct performance of Jineman Uler Kambang, Pélog Lima as well as in the audiovisual recording documents. The literature data sources are collected from literature studies; observation directly conducted in karawitan concert; document recording studies are made through the recording media; and respondent interviews are employed to gather the required data.
Data are verified using triangulation techniques to ensure its validity. Valid data are identified based on the problem solving needs which are classified into two groups: data of laras elements and aspects of work models as the triggers. The data are first analysed in the framework of Javanese karawitan aesthetics to figure out its conceptual formula, while the second ones are discussed in the framework of Javanese karawitan working concept to figure out the work model characteristics as laras triggers. The research processes and results are then descriptively explained.
The above sindhènan vocal parts are found in the Garap of Jineman Uler Kambang sléndro pathêt sanga, sléndro pathêt manyura, pélog pathêt lima, pélog pathêt nem or nyamat, and pélog pathêt barang. In broad, the vocal Garap sindhènan Jineman Uler Kambang, Pélog Lima performed by the first winner of Sindhèn Idol contest 2012 is presented as in Figure 1.  Abon-abon or isèn-isèn is short texts which sometimes are meaningless or the meanings are not taken into account. Sindhènan abon-abon in gendhing is performed to fulfill the vacant space before or after the main vocal song (Waridi, 2002, p. 130). Abon-abon texts in sindhènan vocal above are: ya mas, ya rama ya rama-ramané dhéwé, ha-lah yo mas, ya mas ya mas, and man-émanéman-éman.

Ricikan garap
Jineman Uler Kambang performance involves kendang, gendèr barung, gendèr penerus, gambang, suling, kenong, kethukkempyang, gong, clempung, siter, and gérong. Gendèr barung starts the performance of grambyangan playing as laras and pathêt guidance for pesindhèn to innitiate buka celuk tones. At Jineman Uler Kambang above, gendèr barung plays grambyangan pélog pathêt lima to guide buka celuk tones in laras of pélog pathêt lima. After the flows of rhythmic song passes through tone five, kendang responds it with kendangan patterns Cakepan Cakepan is a vocal song lyric. The above sindhènan vocal uses cakepan wangsalan, parikan, and abon-abon used in sindhènan vocal. Wangsalan is a literary work in the form of puzzles which questions and answers are implicitly expressed. Wangsalan is also frequently used in Cirebon classical tarling songs (Suharto, 2016). In wangsalan, the questions and answers may be found after the formation of its phrases are analyzed based on its meaning and relation. The example of wangsalan analysis is as follows.

Kawi lima putra priya Dahywang Durna
Pancasila dasaré Nagri utama Jarwa tirta, tirta wijiling angkasa Nyenyuwuna, mrih kasembadaning sedya Translation Kawi (language) (for the word) five, is the son (name) of Resi Druna Pancasila (becomes) the (main) state principle The term (to mention) water, is the water (which) falls from the sky Pray, that your wishes may come true The first wangsalan consist of two phrases: kawi lima putra priya Dahywang Durna; and Pancasila dasaré Nagri utama. The first phrase is the question while the second is the answer. The explicit question is what Kawi language for the word five is. The answer is mentioned in the second phrase, that is, panca as a part of the word Pancasila. The second explicit question is what the name of Resi Druna's son is. The answer is Aswatama, tama is a part of the word of utama mentioned in the answer phase. The second wangsalan consists of two phrases: jarwa tirta tirta wijiling angkasa; and nyenyuwuna mrih kasembadaning sedya. There are two question phases covering jarwa tirta and tirta wijiling angkasa. The answer to the first question of jarwa tirta is banyu (water), the word part of nyu is derived from the word nyenyuwuna. The answer to the second question phase is udan (rain), as the word part of kasembadan.
Parikan is pantun literary work com-of nampani buka irama dadi using kendang ciblon. At the second ketegan, ricikan garap group simultaneously plays gendhing together. At the eighth gatra which is ended with panunggal or siji tone, there is a rhythmic transition from dadi to rangkep initiated with the slowing down tempo. At the first gatra rangkep, the performance of mandheg is continued with single sindhènan as the bridge to the following gendhing part section until suwuk. Ricikan garap interpretation refers to the structure and composition of balungan gendhing tones from the abstraction of the flows of the vocal song as in Figure 2.
Since buka celuk, kendang has welcomed it with pematut pattern. This pattern is played along gendhing playing interrupted by kengser pattern in the middle of the first gatra of the second kenong, and ngaplak pattern in the third kenong of the second gatra. When approaching gong panunggal, tempo is slowing down shifting to rangkep work. Ngaplak pattern is also performed in rangkep work before the final andhengan of the first gatra of the second kenongan. Céngkok-céngkok gendèr barung implemented to gendhing sections is followed by ricikan song work, namely: a quarter of sèlèh 6 to respond buka celuk, followed by half of gantungan 1 tumurun 5, puthut gelut, dhebyang-dhebyung, dualolo 6, tumurun 5, and kkg1. Slenthem plays balungan gendhing tone composition, while kenong plays its tones at the end of kenongan based on balungan gendhing tones except panunggal tones are played five to build a harmonic sound, kethuk-kempyang plays a pattern, such as in ketawang ladrang, gong gedhé giving a strong sèlèh impression at the end of the fourth kenongan, and at the fifth gatra with gong of suwukan panunggul, while gérong plays imbal keplok, senggakan, and alok.

Discussion
Almost all Javanese karawitan players enjoy their performance either directly or through audio visual recording document including that uploaded by Suharto (2013) in Youtube media. Some media acessors generally appreciate that by revealing their compliments, such as "duh...nggarai ati adem, suaramu waduh-waduh mak nyes, serak-serak penak lan laras banget, gayeng tenan, rasane tekan ati, jan mat tenan, manteb banget, nyamleng tenan, gawe ademe ati, marem, sampai ngantuk. The expressions of various aesthetic words are the proofs of individuals who enjoy the beauty of the show performance. Those expressions are due to the arising emotions when enjoying the music, because music can express emotions (Juslin, 2013). This video has been viewed by more than 40,000 people and of those, 161 people show that they enjoy the video by giving their thumbs up. In the discussions of board of jury panel to determine the championships, some members feel that their performance mengkorokaké githok or make their hair stands and ends, the predicate given on something, including the extraordinary beautiful objects which provide deep impression. From vocal sindhènan point of view, the beauty of performance is influenced by many factors: first, pesindhèn basic voice is more astonishing with kenès but gentle voice type, strong character, subtle and complex gregel, soft vibration, and broad ambitus. That basic tone has a chance to voice more complicated vocal flows, broad ambitus, and various musical characters.
Second, the tones on laras sléndro and pélog are sophisticatedly mastered. Darsono, a Javanese karawitan vocal expert from ISI Surakarta as the chairman of board of jury panel in the contest, asserts that the flows of the vocal song may be performed in pleng when the vocalist has mastered Fourth, cakepan is correctly, clearly, and firmly expressed. Vocal text pronunciation unclearness may lead to multiple interpretations of meaning. Thus, the work is considered a fatal error which greatly reduces the esthetic value of the performance. Vocal text expression correctly, clearly, and firmly shows that the vocalist understands Javanese language, text meaning, and how to pronounce it.
Fifth, gendhing characters and their parts are strongly expressed through vocal work model performed with full concentration, spirit, and understanding, in addition to menep, sarèh, and sumèlèh, patient, not in hurry inspired by the characters of gendhing composition. The vocal work performance greatly provides the spirit to gendhing parts that its performance is greget-urip, dynamic, energetic, and alive. Sixth, pesindhèn performance upholds the aesthetic values and the applicable cul-tures. Pesindhèn appears in timpuh,a seated position with both folded hands over his thigh in a calm and dignified manner. A complete Javanese traditional cloth is worn to make pesindhèn look stunning based on the applicable aesthetic and cultural norms in Javanese karawitan.
Some musical and cultural aspects above are taken into consideration by the board of jury panel to decide the winners based on the criteria of leres, rempeg, and laras. Lina Rohmiyati is named the first winner because she is considered as the most qualified one meeting the criteria. However, its beauty may not be realized without the supports of ricikan garap and gendhing musical elements. In terms of ricikan engagement, its technical work, playing patterns, and dynamic, the supporting ricikan gamelan playing is expressed correctly, clearly and firmly in the evenly, balance, unison, and integrated composition dynamically under the lead of sindhènan song and kendangan dynamics which result in depth and holistically striking karawitan sense. The manifestation of karawitan sense is also due to the support of Kyi Cakra Kembang's gamelan devices belonging to Semarang State University which laras and materials are highly qualified.

Laras Concept: A Study on Jineman Uler Kambang Pelog Lima
The results of the research on Jineman Uler Kambang Pelog Lima are supported by the views of the research respondents through the findings of some keywords on laras concepts: (1) laras is a kind of sense, atmosphere, or impression of beautiful, delicate, comfortable, deep, and holistic containing the element of mat, lega, betah, adhem, ayem, tentrem, jinem, sengsem, and marem; (2) the triggering events contain many elements with specific characters, roles, and functions; (3) these elements interact each other to realize the common goals; (4) interactions between elements run dynamically, truly, fairly, evenly, in balance, unison, and integrated manners within one integrated purpose made at the atmosphere of togetherness, mutual respect, and helping each other to follow the applicable norms; And (5) its interaction models form the perfect balance centers called the harmonic points as the sources from which laras occurs. In Javanese karawitan, that event is called klenèngan or karawitan concert with its activities in the forms of a gendhing garap processes. Laras concept is schematically made as follows.

Figure 3. Laras Concept
The keywords appearing in Figure 2 are similar with the viewers' comments on a youtube video uploaded by a youtuber, Suharto (2013) and that has been watched by more than 40,000 viewers. The expressions made by the observers and viewers are considered as conceptions. Meanwhile, conception is a particular meaning given to a term by particular individuals. Based on these conceptions, a concept may be created. Thus, concept is an abstract notion based on a set of conceptions or a sharpened conception (Rohidi, 2011, p.126) as concept is also considered as an abstract and general idea of a particular case. Concept is what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan), concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be (Merrieam-Webster, n.d.). thus, Laras concept is made after understanding the conceptions, such as mat, lega, betah, adhem, ayem, tentrem, jinem, sengsem, marem.

Gendhing garap Model Triggering Laras
Laras which concept has been defined does not suddenly appear. Some gendhing garap models as laras triggers are leres, rempeg, greget-urip; and sarèh-sumèlèh. Literally, leres means true, accurate, appropriate (Widada et al., 2000, p. 59 & 590). The concept in gendhing garap refers to the selection and implementation of vocabular techniques, patterns, and wiled of true or precise playing based on balungan gendhing's structures and song flow patterns, character compositions, and performance functions based on the applicable work patterns in Javanese karawitan.
Literally, the word rempeg means unison, simultaneous, and dense (Widada et al., 2000, p. 667). Rempeg in gendhing performance refers to the work in gendhing elements which are dynamic, balance, evenly, unison and in integrated manners with the unity of work idea. Dynamic impression appears from various works; balance shows the playfulness of ricikan as well as the clear and proportional vocal: evenly means all gendhing elements are touched by the work, there is no dominant or dominated element: unison is playing or céngkok and wiled patterns in gendhing parts based on each musical tasks following the composition types and shapes as well as balungan gendhing tone composition. Greget refers to the disclosure of gendhing garap models which are full of concentration, spirit, strength, and understanding shown by the characters of composition parts which enliven gendhing spirit or soul and its parts arising urip (alive) impression meeting the basic sense of gendhing.
Sarèh-sumèlèh refers to the work expressions which are quietly, patiently, unhurriedly made based on the mastery of the mature work device aspects indicating that the competence of karawitan work composers is greatly qualified. Schematically, gendhing garap models as the triggers of laras are as follows.

Conclusion
Laras is a type of sense, atmosphere, or a deep impression of beautiful, delicious, comfortable, and entirely containing elements of mat, lega, betah, adhem, ayem, tentrem, jinem, sengsem, marem arising from interactive events which processes are made dynamically, correctly, clearly, fairly, evenly, in balance, unison and integrated manners in forming the perfect equilibrium centers called synchronized points. The presence of gendhing is triggered by the application of laras work model, technique, pattern, and wiled play as well as gendhing elements played correctly; rempeg, gendhing elements are made dynamically, evenly, in balance, unison, and integrated manners; greget-urip, gendhing garap expressed in full concentration, spirit, and understanding, and sarèh-sumèlèh gendhing garap performed quietly, patiently, not in a hurry based on the mastery of mature work device aspects.