Bovary Chante and Sonate

On first sight Klaas ten Holt’s music seems to be deceptively simple. Its layout on the page is clear and it is often tonally oriented; underneath, however, it conceals multi- layered rhythms, complex structures of overtones, raster techniques and a highly personal sound aesthetic. His music can well be described as theatrical, which may possibly explain his preference for vocal music (two operas, two dramatic monologues, songs) and concertos (Concerto for violin and orchestra, Concerto for three bells, viola and orchestra). In Bovary Chante Emma Bovary lives her life as if it were a curse and experiences feelings of disgust after every moment of pleasure. She fantasises over her own death and wonders whether a man of passion and refinement really exists. Her laments are accompanied propulsively and gratingly by a string quartet and a cymbal that sketches an exotic décor with its metallic sound. In an empty landscape of harmonics conjured up by the strings, Emma relives the memory of her child-lover for the last time. She nervously organises her approaching death with a high- lying crystalline elegy, the most terrifying sound to be composed in 2003 and that is performed on this recording by the unsurpassable soprano Claron McFadden. His Sonata for violin is, like Bach’s Partita in D for solo violin, written idiomatically for the violin; the bass line can always be distinguished. At the same time we hear brutal glissandos and Paganini-style trills and a narrative Largo full of passionate outpourings and pleadings. Wonderful material for violinist Joan Berkhemer, who is a born narrator. Claron McFadden has won a fine reputation as a concert singer in both traditional and modern repertoire. She has performed with such conductors as Kurt Masur, Sir Andrew Davis, Hartmut Haenchen, René Jacobs, Marc Minkowski, Trevor Pinnock, Neeme Järvi and Fabio Biondi. Joan Berkhemer won first prize in the Oskar Back Concours in 1975. He studied in Israel with Rami Shevelov and was awarded the Prix d’Excellence on his return to the Netherlands. He then appeared with various orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Michiel Weidner has appeared with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Schönberg and ASKO ensembles and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The Mondriaan Kwartet concentrates on the performance of 20th century repertoire. More than one hundred pieces have been composed especially for the ensemble by composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Guus Janssen and Diderik Wagenaar. The Quartet has also given the world premieres of American composer George Antheil.