pi phat

…hanging gong) and in the pi phat (percussion and oboe) ensembles of Thailand.

…the contrast between the percussion-dominated pi phat band of Thailand and the string-dominated mahori bands of Thailand and Cambodia. Gamelan playing, particularly of the softer type, often accompanies solo and unison choral singing of classical poetry (music is connected with most of Indonesian literature). Southeast Asian vocal performance—like that of…

…ensemble similar to the Thai pi phat ensemble, while in Myanmar, a percussion orchestra of drums and gongs in circular frames accompanies singing, dancing, and dialogues in all types of plays.

Pi phat music alternates with Chinese and Vietnamese instruments and with the Western saxophone and piano. Prince Sihanouk, chief of state between 1941 and 1970, encouraged a few French dramatic productions, but such drama is scarcely known outside the Western-educated elite.