Good morning to all of you.
I'm writing to you from near Antwerp (northern Belgium), almost next
to the Dutch border. I'm no composer, no musician, only an amateur of
Arts. I like listening to (and I'm interessed in) vocal and
instrumental music from the High Middle-Ages to the 20th century, but
I have a lot of problems with the contemporary music or modernists
music of the 20th century.
Antwerp is the home-base of the Rückers family, very important
harpsichord builders who influenced a lot the building characters and
the evolution of this instrument mainly during the end of the 16th
century and the first half of the 17th cent., and they built some of
the most beautifull double keyboard, «la Mère et l'Enfant», that is:
a little side-keyboard (two-octave harpsichord or clavichord) in the
same 'box' as the main instrument. Later the builders Couchet and
Dulken gave Antwerp the chance to stay an important center for the
harpsichord building, next to the French, the Italian and the English
school. They've had a lasting influence on the French school.
Nowadays, there is a school of keyboardists in and round Antwerp with
mainly Jos Van Immerseel. You probably have already heard his name
through some recording he made, alone or with his instrumental
ensemble «Anima Eterna» (labels Channel Classics, Sony
Classics "Vivarte", etc.).
We have some concert halls here, not internationally known, but quite
interesting because they propose very good and sometimes well-known
interpreters. The Royal Flemish Conservatory (also called «deSingel»)
organizes concerts with a.o. Herreweghe and his «Collegium vocale
Gent», the «Consertori della Goiosa Marca», the «Akademie für alte
Musik», and with some European symphonic orchestras and chamber
ensembles. In the historical center fo the city, the old «Butcher's
House» (Museum for old instruments) also organizes cheap sunday
afternoon concerts (about twelve each year) of renaissance, baroque
and classical music, sometimes with well-known musicians (Van
Immerseel, the Kuijken brothers, Dieltiens, Banchini, Pandolfo, Emma
Kirkby, Jordi Savall, etc.). In a bigger concert hall, the «Queen
Elisabeth Hall», there are among other concerts with the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, under the baton of Daniele
Callegari (its principal conductor), Philippe Herreweghe (its musical
director, who conducts it in classical and early romantic programmes,
next season even in a Bach-concert), and other guest conductors. We
have an opera house, too.
We have a Festival of old music, each year during the last week of
August, the «Laus Polyphoniæ». Last year, the theme was «Polifonia
italiana. From Landini to Cavalieri», with Ensemble Micrologus
(Patrizia Bovi) as 'artist-in-residence'; Huelgas Ensemble,
Hespèrion XX, Paul O'Dette and others came too. This year, the theme
will be «Jacob Obrecht (1457/58 - 1505) and his time» (20-28 August)
and Dirk Snellings takes the role of 'artist-in-residence' with his
ensemble «Capilla flamenca». In september or october, we have also a
festival for contemporary music called «joint@venture».
I'm very pleased with all the musical events offered by Antwerp, a
quite small city (approx. 450,000 inhabitants, approx. 600,000 with
the neighbourhood). I hope it shall go on even if the institutional
grants are diminishing.
And now, how about you: Who are you, where do you live, what is your
city's cultural life like?
Have a nice sunday.
C. Songeur.