[Live performance] De Zeppelin - Septet, Op.79

Hello everybody!

This composition was an assignment for a prize I won: Royal Conservatorium The Hague Award for Young Composers.
The assigment was to compose a piece linked to a painting by a Dutch painter.
The basis of this composition was my fourth symphony, which can be found here:
https://www.youngcomposers.com/t35185/symphony-no4-randstad/?tab=comments#comment-1186673577

Here is the description from the program (translated):

The painting and music

The Zeppelin (below) was painted by the most famous Dutch painter of the magical realism, Carel Willink. Willink lived from 1900 until 1983 and he thus survived both world wars. This undoubtedly influenced his way of painting, because his works are often obscure with thick dark clouds and grey colours.

Predicting gifts are often given to Willink, because The Zeppelin is a warning to all the Dutch or even all Europeans for the danger of the Nazis. The zeppelin is the symbol of Nazi-Germany and the painting was made in 1933, the year that Hitler came to power.
Four joyful Dutch men wave to the Graf Zeppelin, but they are not conscious of the darkness and obscurity around them.
They enthousiastically welcome the enemy, the Germans, in the Netherlands. According to Willink, the zeppelin means evil, but the people do not realise it.
This false bottom is realised in my music. A clear contrast between the happy Dutch men and Willink's obscure prediction is made by using mosaic form. This form causes confusion and sudden changes in atmosphere, which Willink applied too in his painting.

*We only had 30 minutes to rehearse the piece, so there are some minor errors, which is completely understandable.

Opinions and feedback are really welcome!

Best regards,

Maarten Bauer

Bravo.

I love this language of yours, it's modern and understandable at first sight. I find everything in its place in terms of balance... Thanks for sharing the score, it is beaurifully written.

16 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

Bravo.

I love this language of yours, it's modern and understandable at first sight. I find everything in its place in terms of balance... Thanks for sharing the score, it is beaurifully written.

 

Gracias! 

I am still looking for my own language as you may have noticed already. 

Therefore I write in so many different styles. I actually like almost all music styles, but to create something completely original is very hard.

Gracias! 

@Maarten Bauer  I think a composer of today should be eclectical. In the past centuries the style was more or less uniform, until some important breaks. But in the 20th century there was an exponential growth. I think every composer was influenced by many of those movements.

I don't feel the need to denife myself in an style. I prefer kowing and learning all that I am able and, finally convert the styles or whatever in tools for composition. For a purpose, anything can be used and every combination is good. In that sense, tonal classical harmony ir, for me, one more tool. That's why I (almost) never use it in the classical way.

I think you're right exploring contemporary forms, styles, and languages. In the end, all of them will give you something.

20 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

@Maarten Bauer  I think a composer of today should be eclectical. In the past centuries the style was more or less uniform, until some important breaks. But in the 20th century there was an exponential growth. I think every composer was influenced by many of those movements.

I don't feel the need to denife myself in an style. I prefer kowing and learning all that I am able and, finally convert the styles or whatever in tools for composition. For a purpose, anything can be used and every combination is good. In that sense, tonal classical harmony ir, for me, one more tool. That's why I (almost) never use it in the classical way.

I think you're right exploring contemporary forms, styles, and languages. In the end, all of them will give you something.

 

I could not agree more with you!

The conservatorium, however, expects that at the end of my study, I have created a sort of original style.
In other words, I need to be able to compose real 'Bauers'.