Peter Sculthorpe

Earth Cry (abridged version)

At the time, I wrote that Australia lacks “a common cause, and the self-interest of many has drained us of much of our energy. A bogus national identity and its commercialization has obscured the true breadth of our culture …We need to attune ourselves to this continent, to listen to the cry of the earth, as the Aborigines have done for many thousands of years.” In making this abridged version of Earth Cry, I omitted the sections of the work in which my doubts are expressed. The new version, then, is in two linked sections. The first is ritualistic, its melody and accompaniment suggesting aboriginal chant and the landscape itself. The second, in its broad melodiousness, brings the material of the first section to its consummation. In doing this, I affirm my belief in the possibility of future harmony on earth.
Peter Sculthorpe