Imbued with the sounds and rhythms of Balinese music – particularly rice-pounding music, and the popular song play, arja – this 16-minute quartet is Sculthorpe at his finest. The quartet is framed by movements for cello alone, written in a spatio-temporal notation in order to create the feeling of improvisation.
". . .one of his finest works. . .a composer thoroughly at ease with himself, working in a mode that has come to terms with his tradition and with his environment, and using it with assurance to create music of great beauty and economy. . .the most convincing demonstration Sculthorpe has given us his powerful originality of mind." The Australian (Kenneth Hince), 27 December 1971 ". . .this snazzy piece (filled with folky references and odd percussion effects) takes the cake - a terrific, immediately entertaining and absorbing work." San Francisco Chronicle (Heuwell Tircuit), 8 June 1986