01. Peter Sculthorpe - Nourlangie for Guitar, Strings and Percussion* [19'58]
02. - 05. Nigel Westlake - Antarctica. Suite for Guitar and Orchestra^ [22'04]
06. Peter Sculthorpe - From Kakadu for Solo Guitar [10'36]
07. Peter Sculthorpe - Into the Dreaming for Solo Guitar [5'46]
John Williams - guitar; Australian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox*; London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Daniel^
Sony SK53361 [recorded February & March 1994 and December 1990*]
[digital download; flacs, cover and inaly scans, part booklet]
Recording venues: Abbey Road Studio and Henry Wood Hall*, London
Recording engineer: Mike Ross-Trevor; Producer: Nathan Waks
Peter Sculthorpe dedicated his 1989 Nourlangie to John Williams and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. This is the second recording of the work that I have posted in this Sculthorpe sequence - the other being Karin Schaupp's recording with the Tasmanian Symphony under Richard Mills. As with Morton Feldman, this is probably more accurately described as Guitar and Orchestra rather than guitar concerto as it is in no way a display piece for the guitar. The work is named after a huge rock escarpment in the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territories of Australiawhich abounds with the sound of birds and insects.
Of the two works for solo guitar, Into the Dreaming from 1994 was inspired by a solitary walk in The Valley of the Winds in Uluru (formerly known as Ayer's Rock) National Park. From Kakadu written in 1993 is partly based on themes from Sculthorpe's orchestral work Kakadu and he says that it reflects the deep contentment that he feels when he returns to the Australian outback. Both works were written for John Williams.
The other composer featured on this disc, Nigel Westlake, is much less well-known outside Australia. Born in Perth in 1958 he is well known in Australia for work in TV, film and classical music as well as a clarinetist. The Antarctica Suite began life as the score for the 1991 film Antarctica which Westlake originally intended to include a guitar part for John Williams. The film score didn't eventuate in that form but when asked by the ABC to write a guitar concerto, he reworked the music into this suite for guitar and orchestra. Again this work uses the guitar as a different orchestral voice rather than as part of a concerto. The film and music has a spirit of exploration (the Wooden Ships of the early explorers) and pictures the vast and beautiful yet desolate and harsh landscapes, the wildlife and the constantly changing weather.The optimistic ending reflects the recently signed Antarctic Treaty.
I managed to track down the English-language pages of the booklet on the internet and have included these in the file folder because, as usual, no booklet was provided with the digital download.