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Opera puts contemporary twist on ‘Gandari’ poem
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Uplifting: 'Opera Gandari' is an adaptation of Goenawan Mohamad's poem 'Gandari'. (JP/Dionnasius Aditya)
T
he art of opera is not something you’d consider contemporary, but Yayasan Rumah Musik Indonesia’s Opera Gandari shows the two blend well, with an Indonesian touch to boot.
Performed at Graha Bakti Budaya at the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center last weekend, Opera Gandari takes on a tale familiar to many in the performing arts: the epic Mahabharata.
Unlike other adaptations of the ancient text, however, Opera Gandari is based on the poem Gandari by venerable poet Goenawan Mohamad.
Gandari is the name of a character in the epic; the mother of the Kurawa, who, despite her sons’ bitter rivalry against the Pandawa, is still depicted as a virtuous figure.
Yayasan Rumah Musik Indonesia has adapted the poem before, namely in 2014, with what it called a dance opera that emphasizes movement and body language.
In the 2019 take on the poem, the element of dance is still there, but now there’s something for everyone involved, both performers and the audience.
