Archive May 2005
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May 27, 2005
Flammen and the unintended blogobrake
Last week I wanted to write - at first - about the opera Flammen by Erwin Schulhoff that was performed in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw last week by the Dutch Radio Philharmonic conducted by Edo de Waart. And again my opinion totally differs from Frits van der Waa's (critic for De Volkskrant).
I planned to write that, just as with the average audience, after sometime my attention went to the program notes during the concert. I thought the concert performance would greatly win in power when staged. But Fits thought it best not to stage it because of the pornographic tendencies in the libretto. In his opinion it might be too much on stage.
A good director knows what to do with a libretto like this and it would definitely add quality to the concentration span. The music is good but just out of balance due to the lack of stage scenes. Now the concert had timing problem.
Now it is Friday and I am glad I finally found some time to sit and write.
Posted by Renske at 15:02 UTC | permanent link
May 17, 2005
Behind the 'pianoman'
The press agencies flood us with news about the mysterious 'pianoman' in England. And although I am pretty sure there is some real drama surrounding our mystery guest, everyone fails to recognize the cultural drama at large here.
The man comes to rest playing classical music. But no one really seems to be educated enough to know what he is playing. They are clueless.
Who is the social worker in this hospital, where they care for him, who is able to distinguish Schumann from Chopin from Beethoven from Mozart from Haydn or Brahms. I have heard nor read a name.
He plays classical music. Period.
That is the cultural drama behind this story.
Posted by Renske at 19:06 UTC | permanent link
May 10, 2005
"And the war was over"
"G.I." at 60 years memorial (Photo: RV)"And the war was over" is the opening sentence of of Steve Reich's Different Trains, part three. I consider this one of Steve Reich's best compositions. Not only because I like the music, but also because of his personal history interwoven with victims of the Holocaust.
All over Europe we had memorial services last week to remember WWII ended 60 years ago. US president Bush had a busy weekend traveling to Lithuania, The Netherlands, Russia and Georgia attending all those services.
But as the memorial services show, the war (WWII or any other war) isn't over. Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Israel and Palestine, Northern-Ireland and the former Yugoslavia are all too recent.
The recent bomb find that closed my so beloved glider site Terlet is only an 'innocent' echo of WWII. In the Egyptian desert locals still lose their limbs thanks to German and English landmines from the same period and no-one seems to bother cleaning the place up.
Music (as art in general) can't stop war, but it can help to reflect. As a composer it is my task create something nice and beautiful for and from material the society I am part of. I know it is naïve, but I think it helps to make this world a better place to live in.
Posted by Renske at 13:59 UTC | permanent link
May 05, 2005
Muziekgebouw Impression
Eaves Muziekgebouw (Photo RV)I wrote I visited the new venue Muziekgebouw aan't IJ last Sunday when it was open to the public. I took my little camcorder with me and filmed a bit to give an impression of this new great building. In the corridors were some installations and I also filmed the sound lab. The instruments there are made for children, but as you can see, grownups are amusing themselves just as much.
For those of you not familiar with the location, it located on the backside of Amsterdam Central Station a little to the east. The building is next to the passenger terminal where large cruise ships and river cruisers dock.
I want to see the movieclip!
Posted by Renske at 09:45 UTC | permanent link
May 03, 2005
Stupid bombs!
Aerial Terlet (Photo RV)Dutch national gliding center Terlet is closed due to bombs on the nearby air force base Deelen. At least until may 9th we are unable to fly there because they are clearing the area.
This must be some WOII bombs; Terlet is in the area where operation Market Garden took place in 1944. So once in a while not exploded bombs or grenades are found. But it must be pretty bad this time, since they've closed the area for at least five days.
I had planned some flying the coming weekend. Well, they plan to move the gliders to another airstrip tomorrow. But I'll sure miss my preferred field.
Boy, I skipped flying last weekend to visit the opening of the new Muziekgebouw. Now, I wish I would have flown last Sunday.
Note: I was just informed Deelen was a German air force base during WOII and these bombs were allied presents to scare the Gerries away. So nothing to do with Market Garden AFAIK now.
Posted by Renske at 20:20 UTC | permanent link
May 01, 2005
Impossible choice
I had an invitation today to fly with a friend in his Blanik glider. A fine 1950s aluminum plane designed in former Czechoslovakia and one of the only two flying in The Netherlands. It is a glider with friendly characteristics and it flies easier than a more modern ASK 21.
But I decided otherwise (sorry Joop!), since today was the open day of the new Muziekgebouw; an opportunity I really didn't want to miss. I passed the new building on numerous occasions by train, but I didn't have the opportunity yet to have a look inside. I even had the opportunity to shake hands with - long time no see - Calefax member Raaf Hekkema who had to play one of the free concerts.
And well, I am impressed! The location is splendid on the waterfront. The building superb, the music halls fine. Now I just have to pick the concerts I want to visit from the new program book I took home. Some nice reading for the coming week!
Oh, yeah, since I am really Dutch, there is one complaint. The prices at the bar are outrageous. A simple long drink costs 2,35 euro. About three years ago, before the euro was introduced, this even wouldn't have been the price in good old guilders. To give a hint, 1 euro equals 2,2307 guilders.
Posted by Renske at 21:10 UTC | permanent link