May 28, 1982

DEBUSSY first heard a gamelan in 1889 at the Paris World Exhibition, and it profoundly influenced his ideas about sound. Today they can be found at several American universities. In Java, where they have existed in their present form since the 16th century, they are believed to possess kasekten, a supernatural power, and they receive regular offerings of incense and flowers and are often given names. Gamelan is an Indonesian word that is probably related to the Javanese gamel, meaning to hold, and gangsa, meaning bronze. In a generic sense, it refers to ensembles consisting of various tuned bronze gongs, gong-chimes, single and multi-octave metallophones, double-headed drums, small cymbals, bowed and plucked strings (including zither and rebab), xylophone, flute and singers.

In some editions yesterday, a review of the opening program of the New York Philharmonic's Mozart-Stravinsky Spring Series misidentified the tenor in ''Les Noces.'' He was John Gilmore.

''U.S. material support for Britain is illegal and repugnant to the inter-American defense treaty. The future of the inter-American relationship is under threat.'' - Foreign Minister Nicanor Costa Mendez of Argentina. (A8:6)

International Britain opened an offensive from its beachhead at San Carlos Bay against the Argentine troops in the Falklands, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced in the House of Commons. Unofficial reports in London said that paratroopers were moving south toward the Darwin area and that marines were advancing east toward Stanley, the main island settlement. (Page A1, Column 1.) Argentina reported ground clashes and a series of British air raids on the Falklands and said that one British plane had been shot down. (A9:1-4.)

It was lottery day at the Federal Aviation Administration today, and the proceeding, conducted in a small, dimly lit amphitheater evoked the atmosphere of the National Football League draft or a bingo game. When Braniff International grounded its planes on May 12 to reorganize under the protection of the bankruptcy laws, it left hundreds of takeoff slots vacant. Today the F.A.A. was offering those slots, at airports ranging from Harlingen, Tex., to Seattle, to La Guardia in New York and to Miami, and 65 points in between. The process was simple. Employees drafted from the Civil Aeronautics Board spun a giant transparent plastic drum, then pulled out red capsules. They were opened one at a time, a slip of paper was removed from each, and the names were read: Fleming International Airways, Metro Airways, Capitol International and even Continental Air Lines, and United.