Named after the ancient Indian epic poem about the divine prince Rama's rescue of his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana, Farr's Ramayana was inspired by a short passage from Beethoven's 'Waldstein' piano sonata, in which Farr recognised figurations and a chord progression found in Balinese gamelan music. Another influence on this work was Barber's solo piano sonata, recommended to Farr by his teacher at New York's Eastman School of Music, Samuel Adler.
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.
