Mungguh in Surakarta-style karawitan: musical interpretation, context, and the appropriateness of garap

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Published: Jun 23, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33153/dewaruci.v21i1.8520
Keywords:
Mungguh, Garap, Surakarta style karawitan, Musical interpretation, Aesthetic appropriateness

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Bambang Sosodoro Rawan Jayantoro
Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta
Bambang Sunarto
Institut Seni Indonesia, Surakarta
Suyoto Suyoto
Institut Seni Indonesia, Surakarta

Abstract

This article examines mungguh as a framework of aesthetic appropriateness in Surakarta-style karawitan. Although the term is widely used by practitioners to assess the suitability of garap, it has rarely been formulated as an operational concept for musical analysis. This study investigates how mungguh guides the relationship among musical text, ricikan idiom, performer interpretation, performance context, and the rasa of a gending. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the article analyzes published studies on mungguh and garap, relevant literature on Javanese musical aesthetics, field observations of klenèngan, and selected musical cases from Surakarta-style performance practice. The findings show that mungguh operates through three interrelated domains: musical text, instrumental realization, and performance context. It informs the selection of cèngkok, wiledan, kendhangan, sindhènan, vocal ambitus, irama, laya, and repertoire sequence according to the character and function of the performance. Mungguh does not function as a fixed rule, but as a contextual principle shaped by convention, embodied experience, and aesthetic judgment. It therefore offers an analytical basis for evaluating garap while maintaining a balance between interpretive freedom, musical coherence, and responsibility toward tradition

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Vol. 21 No. 1 (2026)
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Articles
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Author Biography

Bambang Sosodoro Rawan Jayantoro, Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta

Sinta ID: 6661864

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