Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

December, month of stories

December: an excellent time for reflection, definitely after all the melancholy of last month. And a great opportunity for good stories. Under the motto Put a tree up in December, CZ-presenter and master storyteller Thijs Bonger explains how he works in the long read for December.

He also contributes to the new series Bonger & De Graaf. Here Thijs Bonger and fellow colleague-presenter-writer Bart de Graaf explain music and all the human activities around it. Such as applauding. Read Thijs Bongers’s piece and you’ll learn how that should (not) be done.

There’s a lot going on elsewhere too, especially if you love Baroque music. On 17th December we’re covering the exhibition Caravaggio, Utrecht en Europa in the Utrecht Central Museum.

Theme: Early Music

Christmas music from the Low Countries

On Thursday 27th December Concertzender Live will be broadcasting no less than two Christmas concerts which we recorded recently. They include early ‘Dutch’ Christmas music: Een Renaissance Kerstmis by the Trigon ensemble and O Magnum Mysterium by Cappella Pratensis.

Trigon – Een Renaissance Kerstmis, Dutch Christmas carols from the 15th to the 17th century manuscripts. After 400 years the Ensemble Trigion performed Christmas carols from the Amsterdam of c1600 in the medieval Huys Dever. Although they were written down later, the music from the Amsterdam nunneries fits perfectly into the Modern Service, which originated in 14th century Deventer.

Trigon Ensemble: Margot Kalse, alt-mezzo and leader, Esther Kronenburg and Marijke Meerwijk, sopranos. The recording was made on Sunday 16th December 2018 at Huys Dever in Lisse.

Broadcast: Thursday 27 December, 20.00 to 22.00.

thu 27 dec 2018

Theme: Early Music

Cappella Pratensis performs music from Den Bosch

On december 27th 2018, the Concertzender presents Cappella Pratensis performing the Christmas concert ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ with works from Brabant and ‘s Hertogenbosch.

This Christmas concert is about two memorable events, with a strong Brabants and especially Bosch character: the 700 years anniversary of the Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap from 1318 and the 90th birthday of Maurice Pirenne (1928 – 2008).

The Broederschap, started in 1318, often honoured Maria in the vespers and celebrations. There are works by Pipelaere, choirmaster of the Sint Jan in 1499, just like Pirenne 500 years later. Also works that Clemens non Papa wrote for the Broederschap, in addition works by Jacob Obrecht, who worked for years in Bergen op Zoom. Maurice Pirenne, priest, composer and organist is honoured by the performance of a number of choral and organ works.

Theme: Classical Music

Genre: Baroque

Bach cd of 2018

Govert Jan Bach, compiler of Bach ad Infinitum has made a choice from the enormous offering of Bach cd’s in 2018, and has chosen 8 lovely cd’s. 8 Bach cd's

These are the 8 nominations for Bach CD of 2018. And you can be a jury member!

From Monday 24th to Friday 28th December, the programme Bach ad Infinitum broadcasts the eight finalists for Bach-CD 2018. E-Mail from Monday 24th December to bach@concertzender.nl and nominate your favourite cd! The result will be announced on Monday 7th January 2019 on our web site and on Facebook.

Here’s a short introduction to each of the 8 finalists: ...

Bonger & De Graaf

Starting with this newsletter Thijs Bonger and Bart de Graaf will be discussing people, music and everything that binds the two together. In this episode:

PLEASE: STAY SEATED AT THE END OF THE CONCERT!
by Thijs Bonger

The concert is over. The echo of the loud final chord dies away. The string players lift their bows gently and let them hover above the strings. If the music has been powerful and moving –and if we’re lucky –we’re granted 5 seconds of silence.But usually the beautiful atmosphere will be rudely disturbed by applause. And then the inevitable happens:someone stands up and a mass standing ovation starts. If I’m personally not so enthusiastic about a performance and demonstratively remain seated I feel like a partypooper. Over the last few years it seems to have become a requirement in this country for everyone to stand and applaud at the end of a concert.

In France, Belgium and England standing ovations are rare, as they should be. A method which you use only on exceptional occasions to show how much the performer has moved you.

Theme: Contemporary Music

Composer of the month: Willem Pijper

The Concertzender begins 2019 close to home: in Utrecht. In January 2019 it is the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Utrecht Muziekcentrum Vredenburg .This event gave an enormous stimulus to the musical life of Utrecht.

And so this month focus on the composer who played this stimulating role between the Wars: Willem Pijper. He studied and composed in Utrecht, wrote for many newspapers and magazines and had a large group of students who became important figures after the Second World War in Dutch musical life . Pijper was a versatile man and many of his facets, even the lesser-known ones, will be illustrated. And because Pijpers’ music so quickly won recognition it was very much in demand by the best musicians.

Theme: Classical Music

Prize draw: Neapolitan cello concertos

Last month we asked you for the name of a Rococo palace and its Dutch architect. It was the Rococo summer palace of King Frederick the Great in Potsdam, which was completed by the Dutch architect Jan Bouman. The winnerof the Rococo CD is Floor Vogelaar from Driebergen.

This month you can win another fine CD , with Neapolitan cello concerts by Leonardo Leo, Nicolo Fiorenza, Giovanni Solliman and Giuseppe de Majo. Performed by Giovanni Sollima, cello and I Turchini led by Antonio Florio [Glossa GLS 922604].

All you have to do to qualify as a possible winner of this beautiful album is giving the correct answer two simple questions:

Which 2 functions did court composer Giuseppe de Majo fulfill? And whose court was it anyway?
Send your answer before the 10th of January to prijsvraag@concertzender.nl.

sat 12 jan 2019

Theme: Jazz

Jazz highlights of 2018 at Concertzender Live

Every 2nd saterday night of the month between 19 and 20hrs, Jaap van de Klomp hosts a new episode of Concertzender Live Jazz, featuring recordings from our Jazz archive and recent live concert registrations.

The programme broadcast on january 12th will be a special episode, compiling highlighys from last years’ concert registrations.

Tune in to The Utrechts Jazz Archipelago, the Kika Spranger Large Ensemble, and the Michael Baird Quartet. Concert registrations were made by Jaap van de Klomp at Bim Huis, Amsterdam and Cloud9, Tivoli Vredenbrug, Utrecht.

When to listen?
Saturday 12th, 2019 between 19 and 20 hrs.

Theme: Classical Music

The people of the Concertzender: Thijs Bonger

Thijs Bonger: musical story teller. According to himself, he has made at least 38 independent programmes and series. Titles include What !?..Is this by Czerny? Mendelssohn and the Elves, Anatoli Ljadov andSchubert’s unique virtuoso eruption (about the Wanderer Fantasy).

His magnum opus must be the 38 episodes of Herkansing voor Hummel which portrayed the Bohemian Johan Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) as famous pianist, composer and innovative teacher . Thijs is currently working on the series Genial Friends, about the musical friendship between Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. All these episodes can be heard via Concertzender.nl

Thijs, where does the urge to write come from?
Writing is a delightful occupation.You are forced to organise your normally disparate thoughts so that someone else can follow them. When I write reviews restrictions such as deadlines and numbers of words seem to have a refining effect.

Christmas wishes

Cheeky, or tongue-in-cheek, but ever so sincere: if you’re still pondering whom to make your special X-mas donation to, consider De Concertzender. We can certainly use your support, to continue bringing you all that music you won’t find anywhere else.

Want to know more?
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