Impulses Hamish Strathdee

• 1 Bach: Partita, BWV 825, Sarabande 03:28
• 2 Bach: Partita, BWV 825, Gigue 01:39
• 3 Brouwer: Hika, "Memorium" Toru Takemitsu 06:32
• 4 Coste: Le Départ, Fantasie Dramatique, Op. 31 07:20
• Total Runtime 18:59

Info for Impulses

This program is a short collection of music which inspired Hamish Strathdee during his time in Canberra, Darmstadt and Hamburg from 2013 to 2022. It forms a small selection of his repertoire across these years. The collection is titled Impulses, as these works have a strong artistic impulse for Hamish.

Bach's works have been, albeit cliché, a constant source of musical inspiration. The Keyboard Partita no. 1 BWV 825 is no exception. This recording features a beautifully resourceful and creative arrangement by German guitarist, Tilman Hoppstock.

In Hika, in memoriam Toru Takemitsu demonstrates Leo Brouwer's ability to craft an atmosphere reminiscent of the composition's dedicatee and inspiration, Toru Takemitsu. Brouwer juxtaposes this atmospheric material, with some of his most well-used and loved motifs.

Finally, a two-part fantasy by Napoléon Coste, Le Départ. The work is deeply programmatic and was inspired by the Siege of Sebastopol. The first section bears the title, Le Départ, depicting the departure of soldiers heading to war, filled with the melancholy of leaving loved ones behind and the agitation and apprehension of what is yet to come. The second section of the work is marked, Le Retour, and illustrates the return from war. It begins with a Marche Triomphale and develops with increasingly grandiose gestures and eventually erupting into a virtuosic coda to close the work.

Hamish Strathdee, classical guitar

Hamish Strathdee
is regarded as an "excellent young Australian performer" (Limelight Magazine). Hamish's debut recording, Impressions of Spain, has received critical acclaim, hailed as "an excellent debut” (Classical Guitar Magazine) and his playing has been described as being of “the highest standard” (Soundboard Magazine) and with a “gloriously warm and rich” sound (Classical Guitar Magazine).

Hamish has performed to audiences across the globe as a soloist and as part of the Contra Guitar Duo, with highlights including; the Melbourne Guitar Festival and World Expo Dubai, as well as engagements at Hamburgische Staatsoper and the Darmstädter Gitarrentage and a number of international TV and radio appearances. Hamish has received numerous prizes in international competitions including prizes in the: London; Stuttgart; and Aalborg International Guitar Competitions.

Hamish has been the recipient of numerous of scholarships and grants including: a postgraduate study Stipendium from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD); an achievement scholarships from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg; the Peter and Lena Karmel Honours Scholarship awarded to "the most outstanding student in music commencing an Honours year at the ANU School of Music"; and awards from the PPCA Performers’ Trust Foundation.

Hamish holds a Master of Music from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, an Artist Diploma (Künstlerisches Aufbaustudium) from the Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt and a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the Australian National University. During his studies he was fortunate to be mentored by Timothy Kain, Minh Le Hoang, Olaf Van Gonnissen and Tilman Hoppstock. He has also benefitted from studies with Paolo Pegoraro at the Segovia Guitar Academy in Pordenone, Italy.

This album contains no booklet.