Unplayed Melodies: Javanese Gamelan and the Genesis of Music Theory

by Marc Perlman

The gamelan music of Central Java is one of the world's great orchestral traditions. Its rich sonic texture is not based on Western-style harmony or counterpoint, but revolves around a single melody. The nature of that melody, however, is puzzling. In this book, Marc Perlman uses this puzzle as a key to both the art of the gamelan and the nature of musical knowledge in general.

Some Javanese musicians have suggested that the gamelan's central...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520239563
• ISBN13: 9780520239562
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"