Hendrik Andriessen

The Dutch composer and organist Hendrik Andriessen grew up in a family of artists. Three of his children, Louis, Caecilia and Jurriaan, also became well-known composers. Hendrik is mainly known for his improvisations at the organ and his role in the development of liturgical music.
At the beginning of his career Andriessen composed mostly vocal music and works for organ, which not only elaborated on the music of French organ composers like Franck and Pierné, but were  also influenced by Gregorian chant and the style of Alphons Diepenbrock. He also composed orchestral works and chamber music, in which he sometimes experimented with bitonality and dodecaphony, without losing sight of tonality. Especially his sacred music is innovative. His secular music is written in a moderate modern style that is accessible but also leaves room for depth. Famous works in his oeuvre are the song cycle Miroir de peine, the Ricercare for symphony orchestra and the four symphonies.