Dance! by Huijnen & Hopman

Various composers

Huijnen & Hopman

Dance!

Price: € 19.95
Format: SACD hybrid
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917268324
Catnr: CC 72683
Release date: 09 October 2015
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		Hi-res download at Spirit of Turtle

Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917268324

Catalogue number
CC 72683

Release date
09 October 2015

"On this CD the program is well balanced, diverse and festive. The accordion has its place. Note the Romanian Dances by Bartok that specifically work with this instrument. Overall, we listened to this disc with pleasure; the duo is attractive as is the repertoire. Huijnen plays with a bright sound, remarkable accuracy and displays much virtuosity and is well served and accompanied by Marieke Grotenhuis. However one might expect more boldness in the transcripts and in arrangements where the accordion is a little toomuch the accompanist. We appreciate the energy in Brahms' Hungarian dances but it misses the last shot in the tempo to really light the fire! Sound 9 – Booklet 8 – Repertoire 10 – Interpretation 8,5"

Crescendo, 08-3-2016

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

When Béla Bartók wanted to pursue his own musical direction after the conservatory, he found more and more inspiration in Hungarian folk music. Together with his friend Kodály he traveled across the Hungarian landscape, which included parts of what is now Romania, recording and collecting folk music.
Publisher Simrock played a huge role in the creation of Slavic Dances by Antonín Dvořák: Simrock requested Dvořák to write “two series of Bohemian and Slavic Dances”, inspired by Brahms’ Hungarian Dances.
Just like Bartók, Kodály imprinted his work with Hungarian folk music. The inspiration for his Three Hungarian Dances was found early in Kodály’s youth, from gipsy concerts in his birth place Galantá. They are – very unjustly – performed seldom
Abodah was written by the Jewish-Swiss-American composer Ernst Bloch in 1929, during a by Jewish music inspired period, for the then 12-year-old violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
The Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms belong to his most famous works and were composed between 1858 and 1869. The themes used by Brahms probably originated from melodies he had heard years before, through the Hungarian violinist Eduard Reményi, whom he had accompanied on piano while
traveling through Hungary Piazzolla was a true Argentinian, with tango running through his veins. In his 4-part piece Histoire du Tango, originally written for flute and guitar and composed in 1986, Piazzolla painted the musical history of the tango.

De dames Huijnen & Hopman vormen een bijzondere combinatie. Zeker als het om hun instrumenten gaat. Cécile Huijnen met haar viool en Marieke Hopman met de accordeon, bespelen instrumenten die zelden samenkomen. Op Dance, hun debuutalbum spelen ze composities van Bartók, Dvořák, Kodály, Bloch, Brahms, Piazolla en Kupkovic. Dit eerste album leverde hen alom lovende kritieken op in binnen- en buitenland. Van 'feestelijk''en 'meeslepend' tot 'welluidend' en 'briljant' en dus niet voor niets een Luister 10! Het is verlangend uitkijken naar een volgend album, maar eerst genieten van dit kunstwerk.

Speciaal bewerkt

Cécile Huijnen en Marieke Hopman bewerkten het folkloristische repertoire speciaal voor viool en accordeon. Instrumenten die bij uitstek geschikt zijn voor volksmuziek, maar die je niet vaak hoort op het concertpodium. Het bood de twee een uitgelezen kans om op volksmuziek gebaseerde klassieke muziek eens van een andere kant te laten horen.

Opzwepende volksdansen

Zoals de titel al impliceert staat deze opname in het teken van de dans. We horen hoe de componisten hun 'dansen' doen klinken. Zo nam Béla Bartók opzettelijk invloeden van de Hongaarse volksmuziek op in zijn composities. Dit deed hij in zijn eigen, vaak moderne, stijl. In zijn Romanian Folk Dances is het onregelmatige ritme van de originele melodieën vereenvoudigd, en is de harmonische structuur verrijkt.

Ook Zoltán Kodály’s werk kent invloeden van Hongaarse volksmuziek. Zijn Three Hungarian Dances zijn geïnspireerd door de concerten van zigeuners in zijn geboorteplaats Galantá. De Hongaarse Dansen van Johannes Brahms horen tot zijn beroemdste werken, en zijn gecomponeerd tussen 1858 en 1869. De thema’s komen waarschijnlijk uit de melodieën die de Hongaarse violist Eduard Reményi voor hem speelde. Voor zijn Slavische Dansen haalde Antonín Dvořák zijn inspiratie uit de dansen van Brahms.

Abodah van Ernest Bloch is ingegeven door Joodse muziek en gecomponeerd voor de toen twaalfjarige violist Yehudi Menuhin. Ástor Piazolla ten slotte, is een echte Argentijn. De tango stroomt door zijn aderen. In zijn vierdelige werk Histoire du Tango schetst hij de geschiedenis van deze dans.

Huijnen en Hopman

Cécile Huijnen en Marieke Hopman zijn twee virtuoze Nederlandse topmusici. Sinds 2000 is Cécile concertmeester van Het Gelders Orkest. Hier leidt zij ook haar eigen kamerorkestprogramma’s met repertoire dat uiteenloopt van de barok tot aan de 20e eeuw. Ze is een veelgevraagd gastconcertmeester en schrijft columns over de achtergronden in de klassieke muziek en het leven van een musicus.
Marieke Hopman werkt onder andere mee aan diverse muziektheaterproducties en was van 2010 tot 2015 als hoofdvakdocente accordeon verbonden aan het Koninklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag. Sinds 2015 is ze hoofdvakdocente accordeon aan het Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Tanzen ist Ritual, ist Brauch, ist Ausdruck von Gefühl. Und so ist es wenig verwunderlich, dass besonders traditionelle Tänze Inspirationsquelle für Komponisten wurden. Die Violinistin Cécile Huijnen und die führende Akkordeonistin Marieke Grotenhuis widmen sich auf dieser Aufnahme den Tanzkompositionen von Bartók, Dvořák, Kodály, Bloch, Brahms, Piazolla und Kupkovic.

Artist(s)

Huijnen & Hopman

Since 2013, Huijnen and Hopman form a recurring recital duo. They arrange and edit mostly romantic repertoire into unique versions for their very extraordinary combination of instruments, violin and accordeon.

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Marieke Hopman (accordion)

Marieke Hopman is one of the foremost accordionists in The Netherlands. In 2004, she received her Bachelor’s Degree for accordion at the Rotterdam Conservatory, and in the same year received a Bachelor’s Degree for piano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In May 2009, she graduated summa cum laude for a Master’s Degree in accordion with Geir Draugsvoll at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. As an accordionist, Marieke Hopman acquired ample experience with solo and chamber repertoire in The Netherlands and abroad. During the outdoor concert on the Museumplein, she played with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. At the yearly concert in the Royal Palace of The Netherlands, she also performed Mauricio Kagel’s famous Tango Alemán with the...

Marieke Hopman is one of the foremost accordionists in The Netherlands. In 2004, she received her Bachelor’s Degree for accordion at the Rotterdam Conservatory, and in the same year received a Bachelor’s Degree for piano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In May 2009, she graduated summa cum laude for a Master’s Degree in accordion with Geir Draugsvoll at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
As an accordionist, Marieke Hopman acquired ample experience with solo and chamber repertoire in The Netherlands and abroad. During the outdoor concert on the Museumplein, she played with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. At the yearly concert in the Royal Palace of The Netherlands, she also performed Mauricio Kagel’s famous Tango Alemán with the composer himself, for Her Majesty the Queen.
At the Gergiev Festival, Marieke Hopman has played in Amsterdam, Antwerp, London and Vienna with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. As a soloist, she also performed with the Nieuw Ensemble, the Asko- Schönberg Ensemble, and with Orkest De Ereprijs. Furthermore, she has also played in various musical theater productions. For the last five years, she has been artistic director of the music theater company !YNX.
Many original compositions were written for Marieke Hopman. She works frequently with prominent contemporary composers such as Martijn Padding, David Dramm, Chiel Meijering, Anke Brouwer, Janco Verduin, and Seung- Ah Oh. In 2010, she started her own foundation Tasty Fingers to promote the instrument in its broadest way possible, and to support the accordion as a professional instrument. In 2012 she presented her first solo cd including pieces from J.S. Bach, G. Frescobaldi and W. Rihm.
Marieke Hopman is also part of accordion quartet Big House, where a strong collaboration with contemporary composers and their music forms the ultimate starting point. Furthermore, since 2013, she works together in a recitalduo with violinist Cécile Huijnen, concert master of The Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra.
From 2010 to 2015, Marieke Hopman was principle tutor accordion at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. From 2015, she is principle tutor accordion at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and artistic leader of the Bach Festival Dordrecht. Marieke plays on an accordion by Pigini Nòva.

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Cécile Huijnen (violin)

Cécile Huijnen studied with Davina van Wely and Jaap van Zweden, and won many prizes from a young age. For example, in 1987, she won first prize of the Oskar Back Violin Competition together with the Bading Award. In 1990 she graduated cum laude, also receiving the Nicolai Award and the Fock Medal, while being appointed first concert master of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra. Since 2000, Cécile Huijnen is related to the same function for The Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra. Furthermore, she is also a highly sought-after international guest concert master for orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, The Residence Orchestra, The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, L’Orquestra de Camara de Cadaques led by...

Cécile Huijnen studied with Davina van Wely and Jaap van Zweden, and won many prizes from a young age. For example, in 1987, she won first prize of the Oskar Back Violin Competition together with the Bading Award. In 1990 she graduated cum laude, also receiving the Nicolai Award and the Fock Medal, while being appointed first concert master of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra.
Since 2000, Cécile Huijnen is related to the same function for The Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra. Furthermore, she is also a highly sought-after international guest concert master for orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, The Residence Orchestra, The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, L’Orquestra de Camara de Cadaques led by Sir Neville Marriner, and Symfonica Toscanini led by Lorin Maazel. Also, she leads her own chamber music programs with Het Gelders Orkest, with repertoire from the Baroque up to the 20th Century.
As a soloist, Cécile Huijnen profiled herself with late-romantic violin concertos such as Strawinsky, Barber, Gershwin, Shostakovich, and Korngold, but also enjoys stepping out to the more classical and romantic repertoire, such as Mozart’s Concertante, the Grand Duo Concertant by Bottesini with double bass player Rick Stotijn, and Brahms’ Double Concerto with cellist Gary Hoffman.
By working closely together with many different disciplines such as dance, theater, and chamber music ensembles, in combination with her profession as concert master, Cécile Huijnen takes great inspiration from the widest possible musical repertoire. She is always in search of new challenges and adores to keep on extending her musical boundaries.
Since her many collaborations with choreographers such as Jirí Kylían and Paul Lightfoot, Cécile regularly embarks on national and international tours with the Netherlands Dance Theater as a soloist. Also tours with many widely recognized and highly valued Baroque and modern-oriented ensembles took her all across the globe.
Since 2013, Cécile Huijnen forms a recital duo with accordionist Marieke Hopman, with whom she arranges and edits mostly romantic repertoire into unique versions for their very extraordinary combination of instruments.
Lastly, Cécile Huijnen works as a coach for the Netherlands Youth Orchestra, as a member of the jury for the Princess Christina Competition, as an individual audition trainer, and as a guest panel member of the recurring radio show Discotabel on Radio 4.

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Composer(s)

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. His reputation and status as a composer is such that he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs" of music, a comment originally made by the nineteenth-century conductor Hans von Bülow.
Brahms composed for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, organ, and voice and chorus. A virtuoso pianist, he premiered many of his own works. He worked with some of the leading performers of his time, including the pianist Clara Schumann and the violinist Joseph Joachim (the three were close friends). Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. Brahms, an uncompromising perfectionist, destroyed some of his works and left others unpublished.
Brahms has been considered, by his contemporaries and by later writers, as both a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters. While many contemporaries found his music too academic, his contribution and craftsmanship have been admired by subsequent figures as diverse as Arnold Schoenberg and Edward Elgar. The diligent, highly constructed nature of Brahms's works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers. Within his meticulous structures is embedded, however, a highly romantic nature.

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Ernest Bloch

Bloch was born in Geneva to Jewish parents and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon after. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. He then travelled around Europe, moving to Germany (where he studied composition from 1900–1901 with Iwan Knorr at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt), on to Paris in 1903 and back to Geneva before settling in the United States in 1916, taking American citizenship in 1924. He held several teaching appointments in the U.S., with George Antheil, Frederick Jacobi, Quincy Porter, Bernard Rogers, and Roger Sessions among his pupils. See: List of music students by teacher: A to B#Ernest Bloch. In 1917 Bloch became the first teacher of composition at Mannes College The New School for Music, a post he held for three years. In December 1920 he was appointed the first Musical Director of the newly formed Cleveland Institute of Music, a post he held until 1925. Following this he was director of the San Francisco Conservatory of Musicuntil 1930.
In 1941, Bloch moved to the small coastal community of Agate Beach, Oregon and lived there the rest of his life. He taught and lectured at the University of California, Berkeley until 1952. He died in 1959 in Portland, Oregon, of cancer at the age of 78. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered near his home in Agate Beach.
The Bloch Memorial has been moved from near his house in Agate Beach to a more prominent location at the Newport Performing Arts Center in Newport, Oregon.

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Béla Bartók

Next to Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók was a third seminal innovator of European art music at the start of the twentieth century. Bartók, too, sought a way out of the deadlock of tonal music around 1900, and he found it in folk music. Initially, he tied in with the nationalistic tradition of Franz Liszt with his tone poem Kossuth, but eventually he found his own voice with the rediscovery of the music of Hungarian peasants. Together with Zoltán Kodály he was one of the first to apply the results of folkloric research into his own compositions. One major difference between him and composers of the 19th century, was that Bartók did not adjust to the system of tonality, but created his own musical idiom from folk music. Because of this, his composition style was flexible to other musical trends, without having to violate his own view points. For example, his two Violin sonates come close to Schoenberg's free expressionism, and after 1926 his music started to show neoclassicistic tendencies, comparable to Stravinsky's music. Bartók was not just interested in Hungarian folk music, but could appreciate musical folklore from all of the Balkan, Turkey and North-Africa as well.

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Zoltán Kodály

Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, born in 1905. If you would read Kodály's biography, you could only do so with increasing astonishment. Not only did he reach the honarable age of 84, throughout his whole life he remained astoundingly prolific - and with great success. Moreover, besides his work as a composer, Kodály was active as a conductor, (ethno-)musicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. And in each of these areas, he had a pioneering role, always with exceptional passion and dedication. To name but one example: together with his friend Belá Bartók he worked on a ten volume reference guide to Hungarian music, which appeared from 1951 with each volume spanning more than a thousand pages.
Yet, Kodály gained acclaim for his compositions as well, with his Psalmus hungaricus (1923) en his opera Háry János (1926) as the pinnacles of his musical career. The core of his body of work consists of vocal music, in particular works for choir, but his instrumental music is just as impressive. His master piece Laudes Organi, written one year before his death, truly proves that Kodály's creative energy stayed with him to the bitter end.

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Ladislav Kupkovič

Kupkovič was born in Bratislava, and studied violin and conducting there, first at the conservatory, then at the Academy of Performing Arts. He played violin in the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra from 1960 to 1965, and then began to write music for television and film to make a living. At the same time, he was writing more experimental music for concerts. In 1969 he won a music scholarship to West Berlin, and emigrated there the following year. In 1971, he conducted the premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Mixtur in Cologne, a piece dedicated to Kupkovič himself. In the same year, he began to teach music theory at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, and lives in Hanover today. During the 1970s he was associated with the Cologne School (Kapko-Foretić 1980, 50).

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Press

On this CD the program is well balanced, diverse and festive. The accordion has its place. Note the Romanian Dances by Bartok that specifically work with this instrument. Overall, we listened to this disc with pleasure; the duo is attractive as is the repertoire. Huijnen plays with a bright sound, remarkable accuracy and displays much virtuosity and is well served and accompanied by Marieke Grotenhuis. However one might expect more boldness in the transcripts and in arrangements where the accordion is a little toomuch the accompanist. We appreciate the energy in Brahms' Hungarian dances but it misses the last shot in the tempo to really light the fire! Sound 9 – Booklet 8 – Repertoire 10 – Interpretation 8,5
Crescendo, 08-3-2016

Luister 10! ''It's a small piece yes, but of the brilliant sort. Huijnen is shining as a soloist here. Offcourse driven happily by her partner. This album makes you smile.''
Luister Magazine, 11-1-2016

One of the Luister 10's of this issue.
Luister, 01-1-2016

[...] Violinist Cécile Huijnen explains: "Our teamwork is embedded in orchestral arrangements by Marijn van Prooijen Really fireworks, as befits New Year This gives an extra dimension to my life as a concert master..." Combining violin accordion was for us a new challenge. It clicked musically so we work hard after two years decided to convert a part of our repertoire on CD. The parties we ourselves have edited and modified to make them more convenient and transparent. With love and joy, because in our duospel creates a different kind of energy, which is a pleasant change. "[../]
de Gelderlander, 23-12-2015

''They are a great team and next to vivacious, all is well taken care of in every detail''
De Telegraaf Weekeinde, 14-11-2015

4****stars ''It works well. You hear violinist Cécile Huijnen addressing her primal power. In a seductive way she spins around accordionist Marieke Grotenhuis. She whips her up and turns her back to her, being naughty, as the most beautiful girl in town, who knows what she is worth. “
Volkskrant, 04-11-2015