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It is extremely rare to find so prominent a figure as Sculthorpe with
such a rich and comprehensive collection of papers. As Manuscript Librarian
Graeme Powell explained, The great collections of papers have usually
been kept by people who arent so famous and famous people often
arent so good at keeping papers.
Sculthorpe is by nature a collector. He began collecting newspaper cuttings
and other items about his musical activities in his teens when he started
giving piano performances in Launceston. This personal record was initially
collected with only himself in mind. However, knowing that his papers
will be preserved in the National Library, he now feels it was all
worthwhile that I had collected all these years.
Sculthorpes family also contributed to the wealth of early material
in the papers. At one point his brother, Roger, discovered some early
scores Peter had discarded. Salvaging them from the rubbish
bin, he kept them and presented them to his brother on his 21st birthday. Similarly,
Sculthorpe had not realised that all his weekly letters home had survived
until they were rediscovered when sorting his mothers estate.
The papers provide a picture of Sculthorpe from his development as a
young child, through his emerging sense of himself as a teenager, to the
fully developed professional composer. They tell many stories of his relationships
with other artists and of the whole fabric of musical life, from the writing
of a composition to its publication, performance and recording, and the
many people and organisations involved in this process.
The papers include over 300 manuscript scores in the composers
hand, from juvenilia such as his Adagio in Major Keys, Op. 1 Nos. 34
(c.194142) to mature works such as the Sun Music series (196569),
Port Essington (1977), Earth Cry (1986), Kakadu (1988)
and Quamby (2000). The scores are supported by reviews, cuttings,
programs, articles, correspondence and notes for lectures and talks. These
provide insight into both the composers understanding of his music
and how his music has been experienced and valued in the broader musical
world. In this way, the papers supply a wonderful context for the way
in which Australian music has grown in the last 50 years.
Sculthorpes correspondence with the London firm, Faber, will provide
a wealth of insight into the role of music publishing in the composition
process. From airmail and telegram to email and fax, from handwritten
scores to photocopies and the computerised scores of Sibelius 7, the correspondence
also documents the impact of technological change on the industry.
The correspondence is complemented by the many photographs that depict
the composer at all the various ages and stages of his career and give
a visual sense of the person. Whether amateur snaps or professional portraits,
they show the various circles of relationships of which he is a part:
his family, friends, students, colleagues and fellow artists.
The collection also includes a large component of artworks related to
the composer. These range from his own drawings as a child; to works inspired
by his music, both by students and professional artists; to many portraits
of the composer in a variety of media and styles. The artists represented
include Russell Drysdale, Judy Cassab, Greg Hocking, Les Tanner, John
Coburn and Eric Smith.
The Sculthorpe Papers will be available for viewing in the Manuscript
Reading Room from early December 2002. A basic listing will initially
accompany the papers while a more detailed finding aid is being prepared.
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