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Born in 1956 in Amsterdam, he studied piano
with Fania Shapiro, composition with Louis Andriessen, and
instrumentation with Geert van Keulen. He also studied
musicology at the University of Utrecht. For several years
he concentrated on the interpretation of contemporary piano
music. In 1993 he received 'Aanmoedigingsprijsk' (Prize of
the Arts Foundation of Amsterdam) for two works: Blend for
piano and 20 to 21 for two cellos.
He recently contributed a series of radio programmes
featuring profiles of contemporary composers (Alvin Lucier,
Robert Ashley, Luc Ferrari, Frederic Rzewski). In 2001 he
composed the multi-media opera Tattooed Tongues to a
commission from the 'Warsaw Autumn' Festival. It is the
opening part of the opera triptych The Land of Ulro and was
premiered during last year's 'Warsaw Autumn'.
Selected works: Blend for piano (1992),
Nicht eilen, nich schleppen for voice and ensemble (1993),
Scharf abreisen for large symphony orchestra (1995), pieces
for 'de Volharding' ensemble, including Ritorno for four
saxophones (1998) and Remote places (1989), and also for
loos Ensemble (Speculum Inversum, 1999 a.o.); Shuffle for
Arno Bornkamp, The Man on the Mountain (1998), Dramm for
string quartet, Rêverie d'amour for barrel-organ,
Nederland-muziekland Part One of a cycle based on the
history of Dutch music, Ein Haus mit einem Dach for chamber
ensemble (1998), Bels Dous Amics for voice and harpsichord
(2000), Tattooed Tongues, multimedia opera to a libretto by
Friso Haverkamp (2001).
Bels Dous Amics. I always thought that
troubadours and trouveres, the travelling poet-singers of
the Middle Ages, were men. But I was mistaken. Ayelet Harpaz
showed me a series of texts by female troubadours. Written
in old Proven¹al, they sounded
beautiful. Bels Dous Amics was written by the first of these
women troubadours by the name of Tibors, who lived around
1130. In her poem, she regrets not having stayed longer with
her lover. After reading a few of her lyrics, I had the
impression that she must have been a wild woman, travelling
across medieval France on horseback, leaving behind an army
of used men.
Martijn Padding
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