Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, who was brought onto the international radar by the Kronos Quartet some years ago, wrote 18 string quartets. The earlier ones were influenced by Indonesian and other southeast Asian music, but over time he delved deeper into Australian aboriginal traditions. Of the 18 quartets, four include a didjeridu, but earlier performances have not always included it. The didjeridu is not treated soloistically but instead underlies the tonal, rather meditative music of the quartet, placing it ...
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Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, who was brought onto the international radar by the Kronos Quartet some years ago, wrote 18 string quartets. The earlier ones were influenced by Indonesian and other southeast Asian music, but over time he delved deeper into Australian aboriginal traditions. Of the 18 quartets, four include a didjeridu, but earlier performances have not always included it. The didjeridu is not treated soloistically but instead underlies the tonal, rather meditative music of the quartet, placing it against a sonic backdrop with historical and environmental resonances. Some of the movements include evocations of birdsong and more abstract natural phenomena, and the central movements of the final String Quartet No. 18 are ominously titled "A Land Singing," "A Dying Land," and "A Lost Land." The pieces are unassuming and do not differ dramatically from each other in style, but there's a deepening of spirit as they proceed that's hard to pin down. An intriguing, adventurous project from...
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