Gamelan Gong Kebyar: The Art of Twentieth-Century Balinese Music

Rating:
Summary: Byar!
Review: Michael Tenzer has written a dense and thrilling work on a stunning, vital musical tradition. The text is written for persons with solid background in musical compositon and ethnomusicology, but within those arcane fields this book is a real find. Carefully written and insightful, this book is a godsend for those looking for possible ways out of late 20th century compositional ennui. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Byar!
Review: Michael Tenzer has written a dense and thrilling work on a stunning, vital musical tradition. The text is written for persons with solid background in musical compositon and ethnomusicology, but within those arcane fields this book is a real find. Carefully written and insightful, this book is a godsend for those looking for possible ways out of late 20th century compositional ennui. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The Kebyar Authority
Review: This is an amazing book - rich in detailed information about the art of Gamelan Gong Kebyar. The 2 discs included with the book and the transcriptions of the various gamelan compositions help make kebyar very approachable for a gamelan neophite. Tenzer did an unbelievable job putting this together, and is in my mind the most interesting book on the subject to be found. A must have!