COMPLETE SIMEON TEN HOLT, PIANO WORKS JEROEN VAN VEEN
Composers: Simeon ten Holt Artist Jeroen van Veen piano, Format 20 CD Cat. number 96915 Release October 2023 BUY NOW The most complete collection ever issued of the Dutch Minimalist master, including the famous Canto Ostinato but also many previously unreleased recordings, all made by a pianist with an international reputation in the field of Minimalism.
‘Given his music’s virtuoso demands, and its spirituality, it is tempting to call him the Franz Liszt of minimalism.’ This assessment of Simeon Ten Holt by an American reviewer points to Ten Holt’s originality, his industry and his influence over modern Minimalism in the generations after its 1960s birth in America. As with Liszt in Weimar during the 1850s and 60s, many paths have led to and from Ten Holt’s music. It has long been recognised that with Canto Ostinato, his flexible sequence of 92 variations on a simple bass-line, Ten Holt built a masterpiece to stand alongside the likes of In C by Terry Riley, and Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians.
However, this box-set shows how much more there is to Ten Holt. The boy Simeon was introduced to the world of music by hearing his father play the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata one night, and from then on he was entranced by the possibilities of stretching time through patterns. Late in life, he remarked: ‘I am the time, and I have the time.’ This box traces his development as has never been possible before, from the early untitled Compositions, comparable to the Abstract Expressionist canvases of the time, through miniatures such as sets of Epigrams and Aphorisms, to the triumph of Canto Ostinato, and then far beyond, to the mystical cycles of Lemniscaat, Horizon and finally the renewed vigour of Eadem Sed Aliter (‘The Same but Different’), a late piece which, as the composer remarked, ‘takes away the limits of the concepts of ‘beginning’ and ‘ending’, ‘before’ and ‘after’.’
As he explains in a personal introduction, Jeroen van Veen first encountered the music of Ten Holt as a child, listening to the radio to (as he discovered much later) the premiere of Horizon: ‘the notes melted together to create such a rich tapestry of colour.’ He has since performed Canto Ostinato and the rest of Van Veen’s music many times and in many countries, and in 2001 he became the founder chair of the Simeon Ten Holt Foundation. His performances, as recognised by critics in publications worldwide, are beautifully recorded and bear the stamp of complete authority in this music.
- Simeon Ten Holt (1923-2012), a Dutch composer known for his mesmerizing and unique style, has left an indelible mark on the world of contemporary classical music. Born in 1923 in Bergen, Netherlands, Holt's musical journey began at an early age, and he later pursued his studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Throughout his prolific career, Holt created an impressive body of work, but it is his piano compositions that stand out as some of his most iconic and influential pieces. His music is characterized by a minimalist approach, where repetitive patterns and gradual transformations create an immersive and meditative experience for both performers and listeners. - Holt's most renowned work, "Canto Ostinato," exemplifies his distinct compositional style. Composed between 1976 and 1979, it features interlocking motifs that unfold in a seemingly endless progression, captivating audiences with its hypnotic and trance-like quality. The piece can be performed by multiple pianos or other instruments, allowing for a rich and ever-changing sonic landscape. - Beyond "Canto Ostinato," Holt's complete piano works span various compositions and periods, each exploring different facets of his minimalist aesthetic. Pieces like "Lemniscaat" and "Horizon" continue to intrigue and challenge performers and listeners alike with their intricate structures and harmonic richness. - This set is a landmark of contemporary Minimalist piano music, and a labor of love of Dutch pianist Jeroen van Veen, champion of Minimalism, and ardent admirer and advocate of Ten Holt’s piano music. In certain works he is joined by fellow pianists Sandra van Veen, Fred Oldenburg and Irene Russo.
