Celebrated as the most authoritative reference on South Indian classical music, the Companion provides an overview of the historical and cultural contexts of the music, its forms, instruments, composers, leading practitioners, and schools.

Fully cross-referenced, the Companion describes and assesses the musical conventions, instrumental music, intonation, embellishment, and tala and rhythm among a host of other topics, and includes detailed biographical notes on composers and musicians. The highly accessible and insightful Preface provides a broad outline of the subject and sensitizes readers to the intricacies of Carnatic music.

The rich artwork—comprising more than 100 photographs, colour plates and drawings by S. Rajam, illustrations by V.C. Arun, and staves—add to the appeal of the volume. In addition to staff notation for all the 72 scales (melakarta ragas) and hundreds of ragas (janya ragas), this volume carries a special guide to pronunciation and transliteration. Additionally, the Companion comes equipped with a comprehensive bibliography and further reading section, detailed indices of ‘ragas and scales’ and ‘names’, and a glossary-cum-index.

An indispensable and enriching reference for the connoisseur, practicing musician and dancer, interested amateur, impresario, teacher, and student, this completely revised, updated, and enlarged edition will also inform and engage anybody keen on learning more about Indian culture.

‘Something to sing about: a most informative, thorough, and scientifically accurate companion to our classical music ... should figure in the library of every rasika.’ —The Hindu

‘[The] book is fascinating and highly readable throughout. … a valuable and reliable work of reference for students and scholars of Indian music.’ —Music and Letters: A Quarterly Publication

‘A contribution to Carnatic music: lucid style ... fine sensitivity to subtleties ... covers all major and many minor aspects of these twin concepts that lie at the heart of Indian music [raga and tala]. ... useful to the layperson ... well-researched ... more than a reference book.’ —Frontline

‘Certainly the best of all the many general surveys of the music of southern India.’ —Britannica.com

‘A delightfully produced illustrated companion to South Indian classical (or Carnatic) music: a clear exposition of all the facets of Carnatic music. ... a “Companion” in every sense of the term to all lovers of Carnatic music.’ —Sruti Indian Classical Music and Dance Magazine

‘No library of books on Indian music would be complete ... without Ludwig Pesch’s The Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music. … [it is] among the most widely consulted books on Indian music in English. Pesch’s writing is highly regarded for its accurate scholarship. At the same time he takes pains to write in a style that does not intimidate the lay reader.’ —The Music Magazine