An introduction to contemporary music in ordinary language.
An Ox on the Roof, episode 24: The Os in pandemic times #11.
Today, the 24th episode of an Ox On the Roof from Thea Derks inspired on her book Een os op het dak: moderne muziek na 1900 in vogelvlucht. A second edition appeared in December 2020. Not much has changed since our last episode and concert halls are still closed, so one year after the corona outbreak performances for audiences are unfortunately not possible yet. Many are hoping to return to ‘normal times’, the ‘pre-pandemic times’ in which we could go to concerts, cinemas, ballet performances, and the theatre without any problems. Or where we could carelessly get on a plane to spend our holidays far from home.
The urgency of the climate crisis seems to be overshadowed by the pandemic, but violist Tim Kliphuis is seriously concerned about the demise of our planet, which he expressed on his CD The Five Elements. He asked Mieke van Zonneveld, Hilversum’s city poet, to write an ode to the elements Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, to which Van Zonneveld added a fifth: Quintessence. Kliphuis wrote the instrumental music, that he recorded with befriended musicians. Today a recording of the first track: Earth.
The Australian percussion ensemble Speak Percussion, released a Portrait CD of Thomas Meadowcroft, from this today The Great Knot for three percussionists.
Piccolo player Ilonka Kolthof and Ralph van Raat released the CD Halo at the end of 2019, named after the eponymous piece from former Concertzender colleague Bart Spaan.
Last year, the Austrian composer Thomas Wally released the CD Jusqu’à laurore. We could hear two pieces from it in episode 16. Today, Soliloquy II: You made your excuses and left, for violin.
The first edition of the Ox has sold out, but on boekenbestellen.nl you can order a copy of the second edition.
1. Tim Kliphuis. Aarde (Earth) [image]
Tim Kliphuis, violin & conducting. Occasional Ensemble.
2. Thomas Meadowcroft. The Great Knot.
Speak Percussion.
3. Bart Spaan. Halo.
Ilonka Kolthof, piccolo. Ralph van Raat, piano.
4. Thomas Wally. Soliloquy II ‘You made your excuses and left’, for violin.
Ivana Pristasová, violin.
Compiled, presentation, and technique Thea Derks
