This work was written for the Gamelan Padhang Moncar of Victoria University of Wellington during Farr's tenure as composer-in-residence with Chamber Music New Zealand in 1993.
Each of the four pieces I had so far written for gamelan had exploited a particular instrument of the ensemble in a manner contrary to traditional usage. Generally in Javanese gamelan, the more virtuosic an instrument, the more quietly it is played. In Kebyar Moncar, the gender are featured. These are usually played in a gentle, flowing style with very soft beaters; however, I have employed them in a manner similar to Balinese Wayang Kulit, with hard beaters and in loud, fast interlocking patterns.
In the Balinese gamelan tradition, a kebyar is a loud, explosive, dramatic piece. I coupled this in the work's title with the word moncar both because it is a part of the name of the ensemble to which the work is dedicated and because it is a term which refers to something that develops and grows in intensity.
