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Musical instruments of South-East Asia
A century ago, the sound of Javanese gamelan orchestra made a deep and lasting Impression upon the young Debussy, and many composers after him, Including Ravel, Messiaen, and Britten, have found inspiration in the characteristic principles of the region's ancient musical traditions and in its distinctive sonorities. Inevitably, contact with a different musical language at once prompts many questions; and this book is an attempt to set the scene and to answer the most essential of these, in as non technical a way as possible. It focuses on the most immediately arresting feature of South-East Asian music, the instruments themselves, with the instruments set in the context of their musical function and of the history, beliefs, and social customs which the music expresses. The author is Emeritus Professor of Music, University of Durham, and was a founder of the Durham Oriental Music Festival.
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