Landfall in Unknown Seas
Encyclopedia
Landfall in Unknown Seas is a work for narrator and string orchestra
written by New Zealand
composer Douglas Lilburn
in 1944. It was the second in Lilburn's early trilogy
of works dealing with the theme of New Zealand identity, following the overture
Aotearoa
and preceding A Song of Islands
. The text of the work is taken from a poem by Allen Curnow
, and tells the story of the islands' discovery by Abel Tasman
.
A recording of the work exists, narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary
.
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
written by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
composer Douglas Lilburn
Douglas Lilburn
Douglas Gordon Lilburn ONZ FRCM was a New Zealand composer.-Early life:Lilburn was born in Wanganui. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School from 1930 to 1933, before moving to Christchurch to study journalism and music at Canterbury University College...
in 1944. It was the second in Lilburn's early trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
of works dealing with the theme of New Zealand identity, following the overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
Aotearoa
Aotearoa (overture)
Aotearoa is an overture written for orchestra by New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn in 1940. The overture is one of three early works by Lilburn which center on the theme of national identity; the other two are 1944's Landfall in Unknown Seas, for narrator and orchestra, and the tone poem A Song...
and preceding A Song of Islands
A Song of Islands
A Song of Islands is a tone poem written for orchestra by New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn in 1946...
. The text of the work is taken from a poem by Allen Curnow
Allen Curnow
Thomas Allen Munro Curnow ONZ CBE was a New Zealand poet and journalist. Curnow was born in Timaru and educated at Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury University, and Auckland University...
, and tells the story of the islands' discovery by Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
.
A recording of the work exists, narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
.