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Michael Askill (percussion) Attacca with John Williams Australia Ensemble Greg Sheehan (percussion) Synergy Percussion Tall Poppies Ensemble Nigel Westlake (clarinets, saxophone)
The long-awaited performances of all Westlake's most acclaimed works. The compilation features some of the most outstanding Australian performers. This is one of Tall Poppies' most successful CDs. |
CONTENTS
REVIEWS
'This Tall Poppies anthology of music by Nigel Westlake deserves to become one of the most popular of new music records and to do so - in my opinion - without any need to apologise for its agreeableness.
Westlake has the rare quality of being able to preserve the freshness of a first inspiration in a final draft. He helps to give minimalism a good name when he conforms to its aesthetics; mostly, however, he constructs his dancing melody patterns and his bright, elated rhythms on far more developed lines ... The quality of the performers is very high throughout ... All in all, this is the most companionable disc of new music to come my way for a long time.' | Roger Covell, Sydney Morning Herald, March 1994 | (Westlake's music is) 'clearly aimed at enjoyment, and that is wonderfully refreshing when so many of his composing peers seem constantly intent on persuading us that the world is a terrible place...
With top quality recordings ... the disc is a pure delight. Go out and buy it, not to support your local composer, but simply because you will love it.' | Laurie Strahan The Australian April 1994 |
Brilliant and Interesting, January 12, 2001 Reviewer: kenneth stanger from Merrick, NY United States Many interesting musical ideas, at times reminiscent of Stravinsky. "Entomology", a high point on the recording, uses actual samples of insect noises to create a wide soundscape of the insect world.
Amazon Customer Review
Effectively Sydney composer Nigel Westlake's greatest hits, it will restore in the faint-hearted faith in contemporary music by offering over an hour of intelligent, colourful, exciting and listener-friendly works. The key to the album's success is a free-spirited rhythmic near-funkiness which combines with an irrepressible lyricism and a taste for the instrumentally bizarre to transport Westlake's brand of minimalism a galaxy away from the comparative sterility of his American compatriots.
James Mullighan Capital Q February 1995 |
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