Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

The Concertzender in May: sunny, with cheerful music

Everything is in bloom and the birds are singing their song Easter is behind us, and the sunny start of May is cheerful.

This month, there's a bit of everything at the Concertzender: inspiring interviews with various city composers, contemporary music by Samuel Barber and new episodes of Electronic Frequencies.

We celebrate the month of May and Mary's month with medieval songs, and for those who want, you can listen back to beautiful King's songs from King's Day. Enjoy the beautiful Jazz CD by Ab Schaap, with an 'all stars Jazz Septet' at the end of the month.

Do you feel like live music? Then take a look at Podia content on World of Jazz for performances this month.

Monday May 5th, Thursdays May 8th and 15th

Theme: Contemporary

New podcast series on Concertzender: Composers and Musicians of the Netherlands

What music should you have heard at some point? In the new podcast series Composers and Musicians of the Netherlands, Aad van Nieuwkerk talks to composers and musicians from all over the Netherlands about their favourite music. What moves them? Which pieces inspire their own work? And why do they want to share this music with the world?

Every Sunday night at 3:00 AM you can hear a new episode of the podcast, with personal conversations and special musical choices. In addition, in the supplementary programme Composers and Musicians every Thursday at 12:00 PM, divided over two episodes, you can listen to the favourite music of the interviewed composer, including explanation and sometimes also their own work.

This month, the playlist of composer Kate Moore will be featured; you can listen to her again in the podcast of 27 April. 5th May Saskia Venegas, city composer of Rotterdam, talks about, among other things, new cooperation with for example the Kronos Quartet.

Listen: Composers and Musicians of the Netherlands, with Saskia Venegast, Monday 5th May, 03:00 - 07:00 CET.

Listen: Composers and Musicians with the 2nd part of Kate Moore's playlist, Thursday 8th May, 12:00 - 13:00 CET.

Listen: Composers and Musicians with the 3rd part of Kate Moore's playlist, Thursday 15th May, 12:00 - 13:00 CET.

photo: Kate Moore
photographer: Simon van Boxtel

On demand

Theme: Classical

A little bit of King's Day at the Concertzender

In our radio program Thou singest ye carol, which is the only song programme on a Dutch channel, we celebrated King's Day a little bit last Sunday, April 27th. Anyone who wants to reminisce about this day can listen to this broadcast full of beautiful king's songs.

Songs that are mainly about a king ... songs with a crown. Es war einmal ein König is such a song; the text is by Goethe and it comes from Faust, also known as the Vlolied. We will let you hear it five times: the same poem, by five different composers, including Beethoven and Wagner. But a king is also central to works by Schubert, Busoni, Gounod, Strauss and Elgar.

Listen: Thou singest ye carol, broadcast on Sunday 27th April.

Wednesday May 14th

Theme: Crosslinks

Anniversary in Electronic Frequencies: 12,5 years Mike Kramer

The programme Electronic Frequencies of May 14th is dedicated to the 12.5 year anniversary of program maker Mike Kramer.

On November 14th 2012 he delivered his first programme for Concertzender. Many more would follow. Thanks to his excellent knowledge and feeling for the content and an extensive collection of music carriers in his own collection, legions of artists, composers, producers and musicians from various (sub)genres have been featured in his programs. For example, he presents a nice balance between, among others, Klankkunst, Musique Concrete and Electro Acoustic music.

Listen: Electronic Frequencies, Wednesday 14th May, 23:00 - 00:00 CET.

Wednesday May 14th

Theme: Contemporary

Songs and other works by Samuel Barber

In the coming months, three programmes in our series The Last Century will feature the music of the American composer and music teacher Samuel Barber.

The music composed by Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981) was not radically modern, but rather post-romantic. By far his best-known work is the Adagio for strings, an arrangement of the second movement of his string quartet, op. 11. You will not hear that in this series, but you will hear many other works from different periods of his life.

The first programme, on Wednesday 14 May, is dedicated to his early works. Barber was a child prodigy and began composing at a young age. The programme includes songs written by him (and also sung by him!) and his first symphony. The second programme focuses on his very productive middle period. And in the third programme, his last, troubled works can be heard, including his last composition: a canzonetta for oboe and string orchestra.

Listen: The Last Century, Wednesday 14th May, 19:00 - 20:00 CET.

Thursday May 15th

Theme: Early

May: the month of Spring and of Mary

This month in Early Delights we listen to music from the Middle Ages. The month of May is the month of Spring, full of bird sounds, and at the same time the month of May is also dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Spring and love are celebrated by Bernard de Ventadorn in his song Can vei la lauzeta mover ("When I see the lark in flight") and in songs by Claude Le Jeune. The performers are Ensemble für Frühe Musik Augsburg and Ensemble Gilles Binchois which is led by Dominique Vellard.

We honor Mary with anonymous songs, including those from the Cantigas de Santa Maria, the collection compiled by Alfonso the Wise, King of Castile and León. These songs are performed by Capella de Ministrers conducted by Carles Magraner and Ensemble Unicorn.

Listen: Early Delights, Thursday 15th May, 20:00 - 21:00 CET.

painting: Emilia in her garden (cutout), Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-75)

Saturday May 31st

Theme: Jazz | World of Jazz

All-Star Jazz Septet

Saxophonist Ab Schaap brought together seven top jazz musicians and we can enjoy their playing of his compositions on the recently released CD Ab's Originals.

Ab Schaap Septet These days, bringing together a larger line-up (in this case a septet), then rehearsing, recording and organising concerts for them is an almost impossible task. Especially if you want to involve top musicians who all play in their own formations, or in orchestras such as the Metropole Orchestra and who often also teach at a Conservatory. And also: which jazz venue has the money (without subsidies!) to pay for such a line-up?

However, Ab Schaap has succeeded in getting this 'all-star septet', including a number of former students (he taught at the Rotterdam Conservatory for decades). They recorded ten pieces written and arranged by Ab, and ZenneZ Records presented the CD on April 4 at Ujazz in Utrecht to a wildly enthusiastic audience. In Little Big Band you can listen to compositions and arrangements by Ab Schaap, played by seven top Dutch musicians: Rob van Bavel (piano), Jan van Duikeren (trumpet), Simon Rigter (tenor sax), Jasper van Damme (alto sax), Rik van den Bergh (baritone sax), Frans van Geest (double bass) and Sander Smeets (drums).

Listen: Little Big Band, Saturday 31st May, 16:00 - 17:00 CET (the link provided points to our schedule on May 31st; unfortunately a direct link to the program is not yet available).