|
|
 |
Jurriaan Andriessen |
PRINT
Jurriaan Andriessen was born in Haarlem, November 15, 1925. He died on August 23, 1996 in The Hague.
Education
He studied at the Utrecht Conservatory with his father, Hendrik Andriessen (composition), and Willem van Otterloo (orchestral conducting). After graduating he continued his studies in Paris, i.e. with Olivier Messiaen, specializing in film music.
Activities and compositions
From 1949 to 1951 he worked in the United States with a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, writing i.e. the Tanglewood Overture (commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky), Berkshire Symphonies (commissioned by the Dutch government and premiered by the Residentie Orkest and Willem van Otterloo during the 1950 Holland Festival), a flute concerto, a Magnificat, and the March for the Dutch Red Cross. The ballet Jones Beach (a choreography by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins to the music of Berkshire Symphonies) was performed by the New York City Ballet in New York and Europe. Returning to Europe in 1951, he made several study trips to Italy and Germany; in Milan he wrote the ballet Das Goldfischglas (choreography by Yvonne Georgi) for the Düsseldorf Opera. Back in Holland in 1953 Andriessen developed as a versatile composer of symphonic and chamber music as well as of music for theatre, film, radio and television. In the incidental music to Shakespeare's The Tempest (1953) he used electronic music for the first time. Andriessen received many commissions for works to be played on special occasions, e.g. Inno della technica for the inaugural concert of Eindhoven Technical University (1957), Thai, a symphonic rhapsody for the state visit of the King of Thailand (1960), Respiration Suite for double wind quintet, for a conference of lung specialists (1962), Aves for choir and orchestra, on the occasion of the 18th congress of Youth and Music (1963), Het zwarte blondje, a one-act opera for the School Concert Foundation (1964), Entrata festiva on the occasion of the wedding of Princess Beatrix (1966), Een Prince van Orangien on the occasion of the silver jubilee of Queen Juliana's reign (1973), Midwinter Song for four midwinter-horns and orchestra, for the second lustrum of the Technical University of Enschede, and Entrata della Regina for brass, timpani and organ, for the coronation of Queen Beatrix (1980). As of 1957 Andriessen was affiliated as a composer/musical adviser with the theatre group Haagse Comedie. His latest theatre works were Hamlet (1983) for synthesizers, and Romeo and Juliet (1984) for 5-part choir (including countertenor). In addition to his work as a composer, Andriessen was also active as a conductor and as a director of television concerts and ballet performances. The symphony Time Spirit (1970) is a music theatre work for clarinet solo, symphony orchestra, pop musicians, ballet and slide projection of work by M.C. Escher, which is transformed into a television version with electronic visual effects directed by the composer. Andriessen was involved in the integration of the computer in the composition process, and the use of the computer as word processor, focusing on texts in combination with music.
Prizes
In 1948 Andriessen was awarded the first Johan Wagenaar Prize for the incidental music Het wonderlijk uur.
|
|
|
|
|
