Thai classical dance and music probably existed in its current form around 1280, as evidenced by some rock paintings depicting so-called 'pi-phat' ensembles. 'Phat' is Thai for music ensemble. A phat consists of a series of percussion instruments, similar to the Indonesian gamelan. If the ensemble also contains a pinai, a kind of oboe, it is called a pi-phat. The music is to accompany the classical
… dance drama or for the shadow puppet theater. Thai music sounds strange to the Western ear, as the seven whole notes of the Thai scale fall between those of our keyboard. Thai music is not recorded, but is passed down orally. This CD contains recordings of various types of phats, from different parts of Thailand. (GO)more
