J. M. R. Lenz. Reclam Universal-Bibliothek Nr.17629 Book

This concise introduction to the (classical) music of India provides a succinct overview of the various aspects and histories of both Hindustani and Carnatic raga and tala. However, it is limited by its brevity and involves outbursts of strong personal opinion, which is surprising in a context of the (academic, non-fictional) genre. For example, the authors detest many Bollywood film soundtracks. Moreover, the book maintains an uneasy balance between reference book or text book. Yet, overall, it is informative and well-written, and leaves readers thirsty for more.