Theo Bruins Prize
Louis Andriessen
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Hout
Louis Andriessen
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Dances
Ensemble Klang / Claron McFadden, soprano / AskolSchönberg / Students of the Royal Conservatoire
29 May is the publication date of Groots is de liefde (‘Love is an excellent thing’), the biography of Louis Andriessen, written by music publicist and guest curator of Festival Dag in de Branding Jacqueline Oskamp. On the day of the Festival, Oskamp presents her book and receives the Theo Bruins Award from The Hague alderwoman Saskia Bruines for her services to Dutch music. Of course she has chosen to hear music by Louis Andriessen, the most influential Dutch composer of our time, who died four years ago.
Ensemble Klang opens the afternoon with the uncompromising Hout (‘Wood’, 1991), with a prominent role for percussionist Joey Marijs on woodblocks and marimba (which, of course, is also an appropriately wooden instrument). Sax, guitar and piano complement the quartet. To conclude the concert, five string players of Asko|Schönberg together with students of the Royal Conservatoire play the more subdued and varied Dances, also from 1991, for chamber orchestra and soprano. The soloist is Claron McFadden, for whom Andriessen wrote numerous works and who also sang the premiere of Dances.
The Theo Bruins award is a lifetime achievement award for a person who has made an exceptional contribution to the Dutch music culture. Oskamp is the first publicist to be honoured with the prize and also the first woman. Some of her earlier publications are the enthusiastically received books Onder stroom (‘Electrified’), on electronic music in the Netherlands and Een behoorlijk kabaal (‘A considerable noise’), a cultural history of twentieth-century Dutch music. Copies of Groots is de liefde are of course available for sale after this part of the programme.