Pinpeat songs and Music
Music of the world
The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is the heir of a tradition that goes back over a thousand years. It has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity”. Cambodian classical dance is very original. It is characterised by a smooth succession of postures, without abruptness yet not without passion, clearly marked by the orchestra. Much importance is given to detail : the end of a toe, the position of the fingers, the extension of the elbow… There are four types of roles : princes and princesses, played by women, monkeys, interpreted by men, and giants, or « yaks », also danced by women wearing masks. Called “Pinpeat” – from Sanskrit – the orchestra that accompanies these dances comprises about ten very diverse instruments : drums, gongs, xylophones, oboes, flutes and cymbals. The songs sustain and clarify the dancers’ gestures.
