Karin Schaupp’s albums are like a breath of fresh air in the world of big, heavy classical music. No Beethoven or Brahms for her, rather the floral world of Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards. She starts with ‘Mosaic’, the single movement concerto by Richard Charlton, a fellow Australian guitarist. It’s a delightful work that really should get more airplay. This is followed by Edwards’ Guitar Concerto in three movements. If you’ve heard Edwards’ works before then you know his style of ‘dance/chants’ that permeate this work – a must for any fans of his music. The middle work is by another Australian composer, the lesser-known Philip Bracanin. Bracanin draws heavily on the Baroque and Classical eras for his harmonic forms, creating a work that shows the beauty of Schaupp’s playing. Counteracting the Neo-Classical style are often-angular melodic lines that bounce from soloist to orchestra in a seamless interplay between the different timbres of the orchestra. Finally, Schaupp finishes with the eerie and evocative ‘Nourlangie’ by Sculthorpe. The piece is named after a rock formation found deep in the heart of Kakadu National Park, where for over 20,000 years the Gundjeihmi speakers lived during the wet season. To this day, the true meaning of the plentiful rock art, full of myth and legend, is known only to a few Aboriginal people.

This is all communicated through Sculthorpe’s powerful work, which feels just beyond our reach of understanding. Three of the four composers on Schaupp’s new album take their inspiration from the Northern Territory, particularly Arnhem Land, and though I have never been there myself, I find that this music can transport you to a world of bright sunlight, wide landscapes and a riot of colours. This album will show you a bewitching world of music that should not be missed.

Kate Rockstrom