‘The Quartets’:
Peter Sculthorpe with the Goldner String Quartet
MEDIA RELEASE
Peter Sculthorpe – The Quartets
With the Goldner String Quartet
Peter Sculthorpe, whose death in August 2014 was mourned throughout the musical world, was the leading Australian composer of his generation.
In this DVD, filmed on the occasion of the composer’s 83rd birthday in 2012, Sculthorpe tells the story of his life and career, relating it to his ground-breaking string quartets – live performances of which intersperse the film.
This is a vital document of one of Australia’s most significant cultural figures, as well as featuring brilliant performances from the Goldner String Quartet, who enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration with Sculthorpe.
The Goldner String Quartet has widespread and long-standing recognition for excellence, not only as Australia’s preeminent string quartet, but as an ensemble of international significance, favourably compared with the best in the world. Launched for the 1995 season, it has since performed throughout the globe in the world’s most prestigious concert venues and made numerous acclaimed recordings.
DVD available 6 February 2015
1DVD | ABC 076 2914
DVD DETAILS
PETER SCULTHORPE 1929–2014
Works performed:
To Meadows (1949, from String Quartet No. 3)
String Quartet No. 6 (1964–65): II. Briskly – Rather slowly – Briskly
String Quartet No. 7 ‘Red Landscape’ (1966)
String Quartet No. 8 (1968): II. Risoluto
String Quartet No. 11 ‘Jabiru Dreaming’ (1990): II. Estatico
String Quartet No. 12 ‘From Ubirr’ (1994)
String Quartet No. 14 ‘Quamby’ (1998): IV. At Quamby Bluff
String Quartet No. 15 (1999): IV. A Love Song
String Quartet No. 18 (2010): V. Postlude
Special Features
Little Song (1944)
Hill-Song No. 1 (1992–93)
String Quartet No. 10 (1983): V. Sun Song
String Quartet No. 17 (2007): IV. A Love Song
Interview — Goldner String Quartet
All pieces introduced by Peter Sculthorpe
and performed by the
Goldner String Quartet:
Dene Olding and Dimity Hall violins
Irina Morozova viola
Julian Smiles cello
For further information, please contact:
Toby Chadd | ABC Classics & Jazz | (02) 8333 2853 | chadd.toby@abc.net.au
We have worked closely with Peter over many years; we have performed all of his string quartets, some of which were commissioned especially for us, and we have recorded them all in his presence. In Peter’s own words, ‘the journey of my life can best be traced through my compositions for string quartet’ and we have wanted for quite some time to capture this journey on film. With thanks to our many generous donors, Screen Australia, the ABC, and the renowned filmmaker John Weiley, our documentary – “The Quartets; Peter Sculthorpe with the Goldner String Quartet” – is now a reality.
As the first stage in the project, the Goldner String Quartet performed a selection of Peter’s string quartet repertoire in the professional recording studio of Trackdown at Fox Studios, Sydney, on 29 April 2012 (Peter’s 83rd birthday). These selections were interspersed with Peter talking about his inspiration for and recollections of each composition, all of which were captured on film to form the basis of the documentary.
The Goldners are very proud of the final result, which was premiered at the Melbourne Festival and soon after was screened for the first time on ABC TV, in October 2013.
The next exciting component of our Sculthorpe Project is using the documentary as the basis for producing a multi-media concert version which we will tour nationally and internationally, thereby taking Peter’s music to an even wider audience. In this version we will perform whole works accompanied by visual imagery appropriate to each work. Our wish is that current and future generations experience the unique creative insights that only Peter can share through his music and storytelling.
As the project continues to progress, we invite you to keep up to date with developments by checking back here regularly.
For further information regarding our philanthropic drive, please visit our project page on the Australian Cultural Fund website.
