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scrambling through the dense crowd, and suffering from the overwhelming
heat, he finally reached the Javanese
kampong
. In front of him stood a huge
woven bamboo and rush door. With just a few steps, he was in Java. He first
stopped at the snack bar, a pagoda on pilings, where Malay boys dressed
in red collars and white outfits served liqueur made by the Dutch company
Lucas Bols: Curaçao blanc extra sec, Anisette blanche—which was said to
“sparkle like a melted diamond.”
After this first drink, he set off to discover the
four bayadères, by the names of Thamina, Sarrkiem, Soukia and Oukiham.
They were 12 to 16 years old.Wrapped in gilded turbans, their bodies painted,
they undulated to lascivious dances that fascinated everyone in Paris. A
procession to the melancholic and silky sounds of gamelans enchanted
Debussy. And he returned over and over again, braving the heat and crowds
he detested, to watch the performance
TALICH QUARTET 25