Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

The Concertzender in February: World of Jazz, blues by Harold Arlen, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, William Shakespeare and an ode to David Lumsdaine

This month we provide some more information about World of Jazz, our new jazz and world music channel, and we continue with the special programmes in celebration of our 40th anniversary.

Vocal Jazz has two broadcasts featuring the 'bluesy songs' of Harold Arlen. The Morning Edition dedicates a week to music inspired by William Shakespeare and Contemporary Music pays tribute to the Australian-British composer David Lumsdaine.

Finally, there is a special offer for the readers of this newsletter, discount tickets for a performance of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Plenty of variety again: enjoy reading and listening!

From Monday April 1

Theme: Jazz | World Music

New Concertzender channel World of Jazz!

On April 1 of this year (no joke), the jazz and world music channel called World of Jazz will start. Here you can hear jazz and world music in all its diversity, 24 hours a day. The new channel pays a lot of attention to current affairs and also offers a platform for young musicians by broadcasting concert recordings from all over the Netherlands. World of Jazz will work closely with the Dutch jazz and world music sector: musicians, venues, festivals and conservatories.

The Netherlands has a thriving jazz scene that deserves a place on the radio. In recent years, the Concertzender was the only radio station that gave serious attention to these genres. We are now going to further expand the offering by creating a special channel. The World of Jazz channel will be the second channel of the Concertzender. The main station remains the station where classical, jazz, world music and much more has a stage and music can be heard for enthusiasts that you do not hear at the other stations.

studio World of Jazz We are very happy to announce that Arjan Went and Christopher Hull will be devoted to this channel. Arjan previously worked at Radio Wereldomroep and Radio 6, Christopher Hull is a jazz bassist and has worked at the Concertzender for some time. You will soon be able to get to know them in more detail here.

Studio
The Concertzender is housed on the Ganzenmarkt in Utrecht, and World of Jazz will also broadcast from there. We have now made good progress with the construction of a small studio, as you can see in the photo here. The main studio, which recently also housed a grand piano, can also be used for World of Jazz.

Thursday February 1

Theme: Contemporary Music

Anniversary update: the Concertzender has been around for forty years this year, and of course we're celebrating!

We're doing this with special broadcasts, once a month, by asking three programme makers to put together a two-hour programme. With live music, a look back and ahead and, above all, lots of music!

Almost every week the programmes will include recordings from the archive. Each week a year is central to these programmes, created by musicologist and Concertzender archive expert Wouter Steenbeek. We have reached 1988, a year in which we recorded two concerts by the Radio Wind Ensemble.

blaasinstrumenten The Radio Wind Ensemble was a harmony ensemble (or small orchestra) that focused on modern music. The modern classics in particular are often discussed. In Concertzender Live on February 1st we hear (excerpts from) two concerts, both consisting entirely of music by one composer.

The first concert features works by Paul Hindemith. Celebrated in his time as a composer of ‘Gebrauchsmusik’: music composed for the occasion, for the ensemble that needed it. Were there five horn players who wanted a piece? Hindemith wrote it. Ten wind instruments and a cellist? Hindemith wrote it. Very practical at the time, but now it's impractical, because who is ever going to play those works a second, third or fourth time? The Radio Wind Ensemble does so, where necessary with guest musicians.

In the second concert we hear music by Igor Stravinsky. The main part consists of L'histoire du soldat, a work you may be familiar with. The musically accompanied story of a soldier who returns from the Great War and has seen the most terrible things is presented without pathos. The translation is by Martinus Nijhoff. The Concertino, which we hear as an extra, is closer to Hindemith in terms of purpose and atmosphere: instrumental music for a client, mainly intended for the occasion.

Listen: Concertzender Live, Thursday February 1, 14:00 - 16:00 CET.

All concerts celebrating the anniversary can be found here

Saturdays February 10 and March 9

Theme: Jazz

Vocal Jazz: I Got The Right To Sing The Blues

This song by composer Harold Arlen is the title for 2 programmes (February 10th and March 9th) with bluesy songs.

That can be a real blues (12 bars) but it's often it is songs in which the composer used ‘blue notes’. So the song has something plaintive or sad.

A nice end to the winter, in which we are usually a bit ‘blue’, so that we can greet spring with fresh courage!

Listen: Vocal Jazz, Saturday February 10, 18:00 - 19:00 CET.

Sunday February 11

Theme: Early Music

Discount tickets for Stabat Mater by Pergolesi in the Concertgebouw

On Sunday afternoon, February 11, two beautiful baroque works by Pergolesi and Vivaldi will be performed in the Concertgebouw by countertenor Alexander Chance, soprano Miriam Feuersinger and Il Gardellino. Readers of this newsletter can get a discount on a ticket!

In 1997, the first concert organised by Barok Vocaal took place in the Main Hall of the Concertgebouw, with soloists Michael Chance and Emma Kirkby in the Stabat Mater and Salve Regina by Pergolesi, and the Nisi Dominus by Vivaldi.

To commemorate this first legendary concert, the same program will be performed in the same hall on Sunday afternoon, February 11 at 3 p.m. This time the soloists are countertenor Alexander Chance (indeed the son of) and soprano Miriam Feuersinger, assisted by the famous Flemish baroque ensemble Il Gardellino.

Readers of the Concertzender newsletter can receive a €15 discount on this unique, one-off concert. Click on this link to book with a discount.

Monday February 12 to Sunday February 18

Theme: Classical Music

“If music be the food of love, play on”

The Morning Editions programmes from February 12th to February 18th focusses on the poet and playwright William Shakespeare. The broadcasts feature a selection of the music that has been composed about him or for his many plays over the centuries.

Of course, Henry Purcell is discussed and works by Thomas Morley and Matthew Locke are also included. Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not forgotten and a number of overtures by Mario Castelnuevo Tedesco are also featured, as is the film music by William Walton.

There is also a place for the music of Victor de Sabata, Kurt Atterberg, Tadeus Baird and René Gerber. Curious about what else is on the programme? Look at the programme guide or listen every morning between 7:00 and 10;00 CET.

Listen: Morning Edition, Monday february 12, 07:00 - 10:00 CET.

Wednesday February 7

Theme: Contemporary Music | Crosslinks

Ode to David Lumsdaine

The Australian-British composer David Lumsdaine died on January 12, 2024. He was born in 1931 in Sydney and composed chamber music, works for electronics and experimental soundscapes.

The programme Contemporary Music on Wednesday 7 February 20:00 CET is an ode to his work. The programme features the complete recording of The Big Meeting, a soundscape about British miners. The sounds and music were recorded in 1971, but the project was only released on CD in 2011.

Listen: Contemporary Music, Wednesday February 7, 20:00 - 21:00 CET.