Goenawan Mohamad might be of average height, but for many he is a big man who writes big words.

And to create something that intertwines Goenawan’s poetry with another art form might well be a task that is larger than life

In the hands of four composers from Indonesia, Australia and the United States, this task materialized in the haunting and intriguing show Pastoral.

According to the program, the intermarriage of music and poetry is seen as a move enabling further enrichment of the two art forms and offering a new perspective to enjoy both.

Goenawan, or GM as he is popularly known, recently celebrated his 70th birthday, and is still making his mark in the country and globally through his writings, activism and journalistic achievements. 



He is a co-founder of Tempo magazine, which was twice banned during the New Order for its loud criticisms of the government, as well as the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI). 

GM’s poems are rich with metaphors and vivid descriptions of scenes and landscapes — surreal or otherwise. At least five books of poems by GM have been published alongside his other writings with themes ranging from politics and history to romance.

Pastoral is the title of one of GM’s poems that has joined with the musical composition of Tony Prabowo, who also worked with GM in the making of the latter’s first Indonesian language opera, Tan Malaka. 

However, the Pastoral that was shown at the Salihara Theater in South Jakarta last Thursday and Friday refers to over 10 of GM’s works — including Pastoral itself — reinterpreted by composers Betty Beath, Ananda Sukarlan, Jarrad Powell and, of course, Tony Prabowo. 

The set was a study, which fleetingly gave the impression of the usual intellectualism. However, observed more closely, hints of emotion and occasional absurdity in the details emerges. 

One of the disproportionate books strewn on the floor had the title Imprealisme printed on its spine. The bookshelves curved and turned into a play of perspectives reaching opaque vanishing points, and one could glimpse a myriad of paintings behind the shelves.



According to Tony, the stage’s setting had been planned for some time, yet was only realized recently. One of the more recent additions to the design was an open book with a large “X” on one page and an “A” on the other.  When the curtain first opens in Pastoral, there is the romantic and melancholic mood of Beath’s “Indonesian Triptych”, which comprises two of GM’s poems: “Asmaradana” and “A Tale Before Sleep”. 

“Asmaradana” tells of the love story between two characters in Javanese legends: Damarwulan and Anjasmara. It specifically captures the moment when Anjasmara had to part with Damarwulan, who was to leave for battle the next morning. 

Meanwhile, “A Tale Before Sleep” conveys a conversation a character from the folk tale Anglingdarma had with his wife the night before she committed suicide by jumping into the flames of a fire. Anglingdarma, who previously vowed to die with her, finally decided against staying true to the vow. 

Asmaradana is traditionally sung with a gamelan orchestra. However, that night, the distinctively Javanese tunes were played by pianist Adelaide Simbolon while Soprano Aning Katamsi sang with a calm and earnest voice.

“Gemuruhnya Malam” (The night’s roar) contained four of GM’s works, with the music composed by renowned Indonesian composer Ananda Sukarlan. 

It was particularly powerful, perhaps partly because the piece employed bass Hari Santosa, who was accompanied by Adelaide Simbolon. 

And “Sajak untuk Bungbung” started with a series of single notes, but as it progressed more fluttering and explosive moments in the piece’s poems revealed themselves. 

“Kali, Scene I — The Waiting” was composed by Jarrad Powell, who is a professor at Cornish College of the Arts in the United States. Aning again took the stage, accompanied with Stephanie Griffin on viola as she sang of “birds who plunged themselves into a shattered cliff”. 

Onwards to the final of Pastoral, the works after Jarrad’s all featured the compositions of Tony Prabowo. 



Nyak “Ubiet” Ina Raseuki, who prefers to be called a “voicer” than a singer, delivered the words of “Funeral Pyre”, which was also part of “Kali” using various vocal expressions and techniques. The performance was enriched by pre-recorded glass sounds.

Meanwhile, “Kwatrin Musim Gugur” featured renowned soprano Binu D. Sukarman, with Griffin and Simbolon. 

“Tentang Pantai” (Of the shores) performed by the Batavia Madrigal Singers, with several soloists including Fitri Muliati and Raineir Revireno, delivered a thoughtful and echoing impression as the singers sang over and over again “Tuhanku jangan tinggalkan aku” (My Lord don’t leave me).

“Pastoral was especially made for me… I told GM I wanted to write a composition for two sopranos and a string quartet. That was what he wrote,” Tony said of the show’s finale. 



The quartet this time was the Momenta Quartet with the sopranos Binu and Ubiet. The performance of the latter two extended beyond singing, for they also spoke the words of Pastoral. Shedding glamorous attire, both wore gray, loose-fitting tops reminiscent of hospital gowns and Binu added white-rimmed spectacles to the look. 

A special touch to the piece was brought about by choreographer Fitri Setyaningsih. Clad in black stockings, black corset and high heels, she became the living centerpiece of Pastoral, at first lying in a fetal position on an oversized rotating open book then balancing and manipulating her body into various positions throughout the 12 parts of the poem. 

The combined intensity of Tony’s atonal composition and Fitri’s movements made for a multisensory experience, as the artists interpreted GM’s poetry, which conveys stories such as that of an anonymous postcard sender and questions such as “What’s the meaning of an end?”



A number of young faces were seen among the audience that night. Nana, a high school student who sings and plays the piano, said she came to the show mainly because she was a fan of Tony’s compositions. 

“The last one was heavy, but I liked the first ones very much,” she said. 

Another audience members who was a member of a university choir said she and her friends came to see the show for the most part because their trainer Hari Santosa performed. 

“It was exciting… it was unique because of the harmonization and rhythm… how the music sounded like it wasn’t harmonious but was still good to the ears,” she said.


Dina Indrasafitri
The Jakarta Post, October o4, 2011

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