batik
Javanese composer
Definition
A traditional Javanese textile art using wax-resist dyeing to create intricate geometric and figurative patterns. Godowsky was deeply influenced by Javanese visual art, and the elaborate layered filigree of his Java Suite writing reflects the aesthetic of batik.
Interpretive Guidance
The ornamental figuration in the Java Suite is not decorative but structural — as in batik, every detail is part of the larger pattern. Practise the filigree slowly to reveal the inner melodic contours before integrating them into the full texture.