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Post by jk on Aug 21, 2023 6:21:42 GMT -5
Lex van Delden (1919–1988) was in fact born Alexander Zwaap. The name Lex van Delden was derived from W.A. van Dael, the name he used in the underground student's resistance movement during the German occupation. (A Jew by birth, he lost almost all his relatives to the Nazi death camps.) Assumed by him since the Liberation, his new name was officially approved in 1953. Van Delden was commended for bravery at the highest level (see his wiki). To quote the YouTube blurb, "His compositional style is overtly tonal and based on conventional forms. He often builds a work from one fairly concise idea; the tenacity to this starting point generates a conflict which provides the impetus for the music. The resolution generally takes the initial idea through a mosaic of variations." The Concerto per due orchestre d'archi, Op. 71 (1961), a work for double string orchestra, is performed here by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by the great Brahms interpreter Eugen Jochum: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lex_van_Delden
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Post by jk on Aug 25, 2023 5:45:58 GMT -5
Armin van Buuren (born 1976) is a world-class DJ whose many international feathers under his cap include being awarded Best Trance DJ for ten years in a row (2008–2017). Van Buuren's sixth studio album Embrace (2015) opens with the title track, which features the celebrated Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans (born 1963), whom we heard in concert some years ago (Vloeimans' choice of footwear was almost as impressive as his musicianship): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_van_Buuren
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Post by jk on Aug 26, 2023 1:51:23 GMT -5
The Dutch DJ and music producer Tiësto (born Tijs Michiel Verwest in 1969) can vie with Armin van Buuren in the international awards stakes; indeed, he was the first DJ to hold DJ Magazine's "No. 1 DJ in the World" title for three years in a row (2002, 2003 and 2004). "Traffic", the no-nonsense third cut on his second studio album Just Be (2004), was the first non-vocal track to top the Dutch singles charts in 23 years: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ti%C3%ABsto
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Post by jk on Jan 10, 2024 8:40:34 GMT -5
This morning I heard a stirring piece by the Dutchman Richard Hol (1825–1904), a name unfamiliar to me. It was the finale ("Allegro vivace") of his Symphony No. 4 in A Major, performed by The Hague Philharmonic (Het Residentie Orkest) conducted by Matthias Bamert: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hol
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Post by jk on Jan 11, 2024 4:12:26 GMT -5
If my spies have got it right, the reputation of Bernard Zweers (1854–1924) rests almost exclusively on one work, his Symphony No. 3, subtitled "Aan mijn vaderland" (To my fatherland). To quote his English wiki, "the Third gave him the epithet 'the Dutch Bruckner'. One cannot imagine Zweers much appreciating that honour (and it really is undeserved as well, since the only Brucknerian thing about the work is its length). "That Third Symphony (1887–1889) was to become by far Zweers' most famous work. Its large scale prohibited it from being performed very often and made publication expensive (the publisher A.A. Noske experienced a great loss as sales were poor), but the work was, and is, regarded as a milestone in the development of Dutch music, combining folk tunes with a lyrical description of Dutch landscapes." There are four movements: I. In neerlands wouden (In the Dutch forests) II. Scherzo. Op het land (In the country) [at 14:05] III. Aan het strand en op de zee (On the beach and at sea) [at 29:10] IV. Ter hoofdstad (To the capital) [at 44:50] It is performed here by The Hague Philharmonic (Het Residentie Orkest) conducted by Hans Vonk: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Zweers
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Post by jk on Jan 29, 2024 13:49:53 GMT -5
The work Dutch radio played the other day by the Apeldoorn-born saxophonist and composer Lotte Pen (1983) is unavailable on YouTube, hence this splendid alternative. "Lotte Pen represents a new generation of classical musicians, whose journey has taken her from prestigious concert halls in Tokyo to New York. Inspired by diverse influences ranging from pop to neoclassical and film music, she now dedicates her talents to composing her own music. With tens of thousands of monthly listeners worldwide on Spotify, Lotte has garnered recognition and awards as a performing saxophonist. Her track "Tabernacle" caught the attention of an Italian documentary maker, who utilized it as a soundtrack." [ Source]
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Post by jk on Feb 4, 2024 5:28:23 GMT -5
The Andriessens were a very musical family, producing no less than four successful composers within two generations. Hendrik Andriessen (1892–1981) dissuaded his daughter Heleen from studying the piano ("there are enough pianists in the family!") in favour of the flute. His Variations on a Theme by Couperin for flute, string orchestra and harp were written for her graduation project at the Utrecht Conservatoire in 1944. This is the version I heard this morning, performed by Paul Verheij (flute), Ernestine Stoop (harp) and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra conducted by David Porcelijn: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrik_Andriessen
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Post by jk on Mar 11, 2024 16:18:26 GMT -5
Usually I can look up the pieces that get played on Dutch classical radio (NPO Klassiek) but they can get sloppy at times and miss out things. I had to hunt around for this piece by Dutch composer Mathilde Wantenaar (born 1993) but my sleuthing tactics eventually paid off (they often do these days). The work in question is called Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis – Hier ist ja lauter Nacht for mezzo-soprano and string quartet, with its text adapted from J.S. Bach's own Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21). It is performed here (and probably when I first heard it) by the Finnish mezzo Virpi Räisänen and the French-Belgian Quatuor Danel: www.mathildewantenaar.com/
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