Concertzender Newsletter

Editorial

A new programming schedule

editorial We’re there: we’re starting a new broadcasting programme on 20th June. In that way we hope to better meet the listener’s wishes. How? In the article by Lucie Th. Vermij in this newsletter Sem de Jongh and Niklaas Hoekstra explain all.

Specially for Early Music lovers programme coördinatrice Irene Stolp lays out to which times a number of programmes will be moving. Don’t worry, Bach ad Infinitum and Early Music retain a prominent place in our new programming.

And while we’re talking about renewal: this month a lot of attention for Karlheinz Stockhausen. If you didn’t see the opera series ‘Licht’ , you can come to the Concertzender for free: Emmanuel Overbeeke has put together a lovely programme about the Great Renewer. And Luc Nijs wrote a special piece about ‘Licht’.

An impressive book from our former colleague Arthur Olof about Russian 20th century Music appeared posthumously. With so much to read you might not even have time to listen! That’s why the next newsletter is going to appear a bit later, end of July. Have a great summer!

starting June 20th 2019

New programming: the power of the Concertzender

By Lucy Th. Vermij

The Concertzender wil start a new format on June 20. We’ll be starting horizontal programming with comparable programmes at the same time of day. Recognisable during the day, primarily clasical music (early, classical, modern, contemporary), and in the evening trusted and thematic programmes. In this way we’re hoping to present our power and unity better: unknown repertoire and enormous expertise.

broadcasting schedule

A larger version of the new broadcasting schedule can be found here (unfortunately there's no English version available).

People are creatures of habit and prefer predictability, maybe spiced up lightly with pleasant surprises. Listeners shouldn’t have to listen to their programmes at different times every day.We don’t listen to radio like that. When we turn the radio on we don’t want to be disappointed in our musical expectations. Because then we won’t tune in again.

Focus on our own recordings
We’ve designed the new programming so that there are as few ‘close down’ moments as possible. Radio has to run differently. During the day it’s mostly non-stop programmes with mainstream-repertoire – in the eyes of the Concertzender , much broader than for other broadcasters. We prioritise our own recordings and original, inventive and editorially intensive programmes.

Our own recordings get a prominent place. Concertzender’s uniqueness is the collection of recordings of 30 years of Dutch musical life. In the new format we’ve created a new space and further expansions of Concertzender Live.

Theme: Early Music

Genre: Baroque

Early Music schedule

For many years you have been able to listen to music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque on the Concertzender. There are a variety of programmes featuring well-known and less well-known musicians, surprising, sometimes educational and often reflecting current developments in the world of Early Music.

scheme Early Music In the past, Early Music could be heard on Monday evening, Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon with Bach ad Infinitum being broadcast every weekday at 13:00 CET.

This changes on Thursday 20 June 2019 when our new broadcasting schedule is introduced. A large version of the new Early Music broadcasting schedule can be found here (unfortunately there's no English version available). The changes are listed below:

• On Monday Nuove Musiche moves from 18:00 CET to 19:00 CET.

• Documento, Organ works and Series Jordi Savall move to Sunday at 16:00 CET.

• Roaming the Renaissance/Baroque airs on Saturday morning at 10:00 CET, under the name Roaming the Classical Period.

• Concertzender Live Early Music moves to Friday afternoon at 14:00 CET.

• Sound the Trumpet, Strike the Viol! Stays on Sunday but moves to 11:00 CET.

• Missa etc. moves to Tuesday afternoon at 18:00 CET.

• The Early Garden, Early Delights and L’Esprit Baroque move to Sunday at 15:00 CET.

• Bach ad Infinitum continues to be broadcast every workday from 13:00 to 14:00 CET.

on demand

Theme: Classical Music

Pure Classics

On 3rd January 2014, Concertzender premiered the programme Pure Classics. This month we’ll bring you the last two episodes.

The programme of 12th June was devoted to the family Mozart, Leopold, Wolfgang Amadeus and Franz Xaver. The very last episode, aired on June 19th focused on another musical family, Bach’s four composer sons. From July, Pure Classics will merge with De wandeling.

on demand

Theme: Contemporary Music

Stockhausen aus Licht

Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera cycle ‘Licht’ is the ‘Ring of the Nibelungen’ of our time. It is the culmination of the musical development of one of the most interesting musical minds of the 20th century and contains riches which are too huge to summarise and realise. Even a partial performance of this work is in these circumstances a special event. That event takes place this month during the Holland Festival. A good enough reason to award Composer of the Month to the composer Stockhausen and his adventurous journey which for him can continue after his life.

Licht: 27 years of work
Composer of the month is Karlheinz Stockhausen. This month De Nationale Opera is performing a broad selection from Stockhausen’s opera cycle ‘Licht’. This enormous work, on which the composer worked for 27 years, has many aspects and is the culmination of a long, highly interesting development. Today a few highlights from that development. The German Stockhausen was born in 1928. His demented mother was murdered by the nazi’s and his father died on the Eastern Front. After the Second World War he didn’t believe in returning to the prewar world and looked as a composer for new methods of expression. In the 50’s he was one of the pioneers of electronic music and in 1957 he broke through with one of the classics of early electronic music: ‘Gesang der Jünglinge’. In this piece he combined electronic sounds with a boy’s voice which sometimes hadn’t broken. The tension between human and non-human sounds gives this piece its character

Theme: Jazz

A weekly treat: the Palace of Nostalgia

From the 22 June, The Palace of Nostalgia will be broadcast every week. Music of the past for the listeners of today. Great American Songbook, cool jazz, swing jazz, music from the days of bubble-gum cards, cabaret, curiosa – and all coated in a layer of nostalgia. In short, music that is still very special but is now rarely heard.

Nostalgia There are also regularly special programmes, such as the recent ones about Doris Day, Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee, and there are many more in the planning.

Distant horizons
The Palace goes on a journey from 29 June with music that will inspire you to visit distant lands: ‘Egyptian Summer’ by the Metropole Orkest, Nelson Riddle, Chet Baker, a ‘Route 66’ special with The Rolling Stones, Hoagy Carmichael, Matt Dennis with his ode to travel ‘Let’s get away from it all’ and the Ben Selvon orchestra from the earliest days of jazz music.

George Formby
The special on the 31 August features the wit and wisdom of the parodist Stan Freberg, the comic Charlie Drake singing about the tribulations of owning a boomerang, George Formby with his ‘banjolele’, the French composer, arranger and sound wizard André Popp, a song about a race between a Cadillac and a Nash from The Playmates, and ‘the man with a thousand voices’ Mel Blanc.

Stockhausen, part 2

By Luc Nijs

Opera of the month – Karlheinz Stockhausen - Donnerstag aus Licht - Opera 20th century

The German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007) is an icon of both post-war classical music and opera, although his operas have always been given less attention that his other work. That is not justified. The greatest achievement in his opera oeuvre is without doubt ‘Licht: Die Sieben Tage der Woche’, a cycle of seven operas that he composed between 1977 and 2003.

Stockhausen opera If I have to choose one work from the cycle it is ‘Donnerstag aus Licht’ from 1980. This opera had its première in 1981 in Italy. Although the public was enthousiatic, the reviewers were unimpressed and much of the criticism was directed at Stockhausen himself. The music was considered to been acceptable but visually it did not meet expectations. The final result was considered to be symptomatic of his pretentions. A few years later, opinions had changed and there was appreciation for the mystical, sublime and enriching aspects of the opera.

It has to be said, Stockhausen’s music has always divided opinions both during his lifetime and since his death. But you should give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

The following recording is recommended: Karlheiz Stockhausen - Donnerstag aus Licht - recorded in 1980, and issued by DG in 1988 (4CDs) (DG4233 792) with the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, the West-German Radio choir and the Ensemble InterContemporain led by Karlheinz Stockhausen and with Robert Gambill, Annette Meriweather, Matthias Hölle and others.

before 18th July 2019

Theme: Contemporary Music

Prize draw: Benjamin Britten

Last month’s we wanted to know for whom Dutch composer Henriette Bosmans wrote several works for the cello? And why did she do this?

The answer: she composed them especially for cellist Frieda Belinfante, because they were partners, living together. Winner: B. de Boer from Drachten. Congratulations!

This month’s question:
What is the name of the Aldeburgh Festival Theatre and what did I used to be ?

Prize
Benjamin Britten, Serenade for Tenor, horn and strings. Young Apollo. Lachrymae. Prelude and Fugue. Allan Clayton,tenor. Richard Watkins, horn. Aldeburgh Strings ed by Markus Daunert ( Linn Records CKD 478).

Send your answer to prijsvraag@concertzender.nl before the 18th of July.