Par PENARD OLIVIER. Oeuvre incontournable de Hermann Hesse interdite par Hitler à sa parution, livre culte de la jeune génération des années 70, Der Steppenwolf est une mise en abîme hallucinante sur la solitude et la liberté à tout prix. Le fil du récit est interrompu par le fameux Traité du loup des steppes, qui contient un bref poème résumant à lui seul tout l'esprit du roman, se référant aux a…

Par DE HAAN JAN. Inspiration was commissioned by the Solothurnischer Kanotonal Musikverband in Switzerland in 1993. The composition begins with an A-theme written in a Phrygian tonality and, after an enormous climax, moves on into a quicker B-section, characterized by the use of wide interval jumps. Then follows the development in which both themes return individually and together. Peace and quiet…

J'ai écrit cette pièce mélodique pour ma fille, Paulien. C'est une musique aux sonorités enjouées, expressives et légères qui reflètent sa personnalité. Cette composition débute dans un climat lyrique et rêveur. Le premier passage, doux et délicat, mène à une section imposante et tonique, après quoi l'ambiance se transforme dans le mouvement suivant : ici, la mélodie et l'accompagnement sont léger…

Par ROELS STIJN. Prelude and Chorale est une scintillante et dynamique pièce d’ouverture, basée sur le brillant final d’une oeuvre écrite antérieurement, Aureus. La nouvelle composition s’articule autour d’un hymne splendide qui constitue également le fil conducteur de cette ouverture. Comme le suggère le titre, le morceau débute par un «prélude» moderne : un prologue de l’hymne actuel. Les premiè…

Par ZELENSKI WLADYSLAW. Wladyslaw Zelenski had the Six Character Pieces for piano, op. 17 ready around 1871, although it is quite possible that he composed them earlier, even in 1864. Such is indicated by the opus number. At that time he was giving opus numbers to works in chronological order of composition. This set is dedicated to Auguste Auspitz-Kolár, a pianist whom Zelenski could have met on …

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. In the most literal sense: a piece for an occasion. The actual occasion was Jan de Haan’s twentieth anniversary as a conductor of the top Dutch brass band, “Soli Deo Gloria” (Leeuwarden). To mark the occasion, the band commissioned the Belgian comopser Jan Van der Roost to create a surprise piece: without knowledge of the person being celebrated, a suitable source of inspira…

Par SCHWEITZER BENJAMIN. The chiaroscuro-technique developed by painters of the Italian renaissance served to intensify contrasts and effects of optical depth. In Klar/Obskur, I tried to transfer the general idea of this technique on the rather unusual instrumentation of two double-reed woodwinds and piano. On the one hand, a clear, well articulated playing is characteristic for these instruments,…

Canaanite Fantasy No. 3. Par LEEF YINAM. Similiar to its two sister-works, ELEGY looks back to the past and to ancient musical colors and ideals, combining musical ornamentations of nature within contemporary Western modes of expression. The composer accounts that 'the most interesting and attractive challenge for me was to try to relate to the special characteristics of the harpsichord - its rath…

'Each year at their Summer Festival in Tavistock, the Exon Singers feature the music of a living composer. In the summer of 2008 I was privileged to be the chosen composer. Salve Regina was written for the Festival and was performed once at a concert and subsequently at the broadcast of Choral Evensong in Buckfast Abbey.The music is unaccompanied and set for a six-part choir, with two parts for bo…

From Coppelia Ballet. Par DELIBES LEO. French composer Léo Delibes (1836-1891) was primarily known for his operettas and short comic operas. He was also famous for the ballet Coppelia from which arranger Wil van der Beek has transcribed the czardas for concert band. Characteristic of this work and the music of Delibes' in general are rhythmic, alternating melodies. Another trademark of Delibes' wo…