Archive May 2006
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May 30, 2006
Bummer
Marin AlsopNext week conductor Marin Alsop visits Holland for a concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO). I had so much anticipated to go there, that it is a real disappointment to find one of my own premieres takes place on the same date and time.
Yes, I look forward (A LOT) to the premiere of Fiddlers by the Matangi String Quartet. But the prospect of Alsop visiting my hometown for a performance with the RCO, is something I had been keen on to visit as well.
Posted by Renske at 20:55 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
May 26, 2006
Compensating
Die Kongresshalle (Photo RV)My composition VE-Dances is based on original footage by the American Army, advancing in Germany at the end of WWII. Although I have been in Germany a lot (it is only a 1,5 hour drive away) I hardly visited any of the relics left behind by the Third Reich. So, it was about time to visit the Zeppelinfield - where the Yankee Doodlers performed to entertain G.I.s - myself.
Last weekend we (my spouse and me) traveled to Nuremberg to visit the remains of the Reichsparteitagsgelände and its Dokumentationszentrum. The minor parts that are still there are BIG. I knew it was big, but I was still amazed about the size that dwarfs it's visitors.
Those Nazi-bonzo's must have been pathetically small ego's to cook up something like this Roman Empire inspired nuthead architecture.
Fascinating to see BTW were the 1930s reactions and cartoons in international newspapers of the time, as they were on display in the Documentation Centre.
When you are around, it is worth a visit.
Posted by Renske at 10:04 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
May 18, 2006
Waldteufel
Waldteufel (Photo RV)This morning I visited percussionist Arnold Marinissen in his studio, where he showed me part of his instrument collection. Apart from all the ordinary instruments he showed me a lot of his more peculiar instruments.
The one I fell in love with right away is the lions roar or, as it is also known, waldteufel. Amazing how much sound this simple instrument makes and how much ways there are to get it to speak.
Posted by Renske at 21:23 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
May 10, 2006
Fabulous Channel
The news is about two days old as I write this and for techies it is ancient history, but it is something we as freaky classical music lovers can learn from: Last monday the internet equivalent of Oscars for best websites, Webbies, were unveiled. One of the winners is Fabchannel.
This company makes video recordings of pop concerts in the mayor Dutch pop temple Paradiso. And anyone with an internet connection can go there and see and listen to those concerts. E.g. I was watching (and listening to!) a concert by the Simple Minds.
We should have something similar for classical and contemporary music concerts. Not every orchestra and ensemble making their own Fabchannel, but one for every mayor concert hall. All legal. So we could SEE that great conductor or look up this one great concert with the ASKO-Ensemble with a new composition by Klas Torstensson in the Muziekgebouw. That would be awesome.
I still don't understand how they've set up their business model and make money, because I don't pay, I don't see advertisements and they claim all rights have been dealt with legally. But it works and it is great fun.
Posted by Renske at 19:57 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
May 04, 2006
Social contexts
While working on my just finished composition Square Prayer, I was reconfirmed in my conviction that music only bears its meaning in a social human context.
I can try to be innovative by composing new sounds, but especially by composing for carillon I do feel the tradition and cultural history behind it.
The obligation I felt is to pick up on the tradition and try to bring it further by using a language my contemporaries might understand. In this I can only try and hope to be part of a history that began a long time ago and I hope will go on for a very long time.
Posted by Renske at 21:54 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)