An Ox on the Roof 13: the Ox in times of Corona.
Today you can listen to the thirteenth episode of this programme by Thea Derks, which is loosely based on her book with the Dutch title Een os op het dak: moderne muziek na 1900 in vogelvlucht (an overview of contemporary music after 1900).
In episode 12 Thea Derks commemorated Reinbert de Leeuw who passed away on 14 February 2020. In 2014, she wrote his biography Reinbert de Leeuw: mens of melodie; the third edition includes his achievements from 2014 till 2020 and will be published soon.
Meanwhile, the Corona virus has completely changed the world. Up to 1 June, all concerts have been cancelled, cultural life has come to a stop. On 13 March 2020, the Opera Forward Festival were to start with the world première of the opera Ritratto by Willem Jeths. Fortunately, a video of the final rehearsal of the opera premiered on YouTube.
The opera Een lied voor de maan by his former student Mathilde Wantenaar was also cancelled. Instead, we will play a recording of her mini opera p e r s o n a r from 2016.
The performance of Karin Rehnqvist’s Silent Earth, a composition for the Dutch programme NTRZaterdagMatinee was also cancelled. So today you can listen to her work Salve Regina from 2007.
The Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki [photo], whose music were reflections on our time, died on Sunday 29 March 2020. That same day, Frans Curvers died. He was one of the biggest fans and promotor of contemporary music in the Netherlands. At the age of 90 he still sent out lists of recommended works by Rzewski’s Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues, for example.
1. Mathilde Wantenaar. p e r s o n a r.
Judith Weusten, soprano. Charlotte Basolo & Julia Kleinsmann, violin. Emma Kroon, cello. Jorge Hernandez, double bass. Vocaal Jazzensemble led by Eva Aggerman. Leader: Tijn Wybenga.
2. Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Krzysztof Penderecki
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra led by Antoni Wit.
3. Frederic Rzewski. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues.
Ralph van Raat, piano.
4. Karin Rehnqvist. Salve Regina.
Nederlands Kamerkoor & Nieuw Ensemble led by Ed Spanjaard.
Compilation and presentation: Thea Derks
