Commissioned by pianist Rebecca Penneys while Farr was studying at New York's Eastman School of Music, the gamelan-influenced Kebyar requires the performer to use an assortment of screws, pennies and erasers in manipulating the sound of the piano.
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
