Willem Pijper: an Aper.;Ul

AUGUSTINUS P. DIERICK, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO Willem Pijper: an aper.;ul "After Sweelinck the Netherlands produced all Mahler. At the same time, Dutch composi practically no composers for three hundred tions were being published by A. A Noske in years. But the 20th century has seen the birth Middelburg. Finally, a new generation of of a flourishing school which, in reacting composers began to make itself heard. against the strong influence of the 19th century, accepted the hegemony of French First and foremost among these was music." Thus the Larousse Encyclopedia of Bernard Zweers. Although trained in Leipzig, Music. 2 Although in its baldness this state Zweers was the first to make a serious bid for ment is correct neither about the lack of an independent nationalistic style, especially composers nor, in this radical form, about the in his Third Symphony, To My Fatherland, of hegemony of French music, it is nevertheless 1890. He was followed closely by Alphons true that the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries Diepenbrock, a composer of large choral and were heavily dominated by foreign compos orchestral works. It was Diepenbrock above ers and performers, with the result that, all who initiated the shift from Germanic to without national content and without inter French influences mentioned above: from national quality, the music of this period is at Wagner to Debussy, and from German Lieder best competent, often only of historical on texts of the Romantics (e.g. Hymnen an die interest. 3 Nacht on texts by Novalis) to vocal works on poems by Baudelaire, Verlaine and Laforgue. A number of factors contributed to the revival of music in the Netherlands around Diepenbrock's near contemporary Johan 1880. There was the opening of the Wagenaar 0862-1941) was a very different Concertgebouw in 1888 and the musical character - a bon vivant, realist and humorist, reforms of Willem Kes associated with the the composer of satirical operas, of concert orchestra. In 1895 Willem Mengelberg took overtures two of which, Cyrano de Bergerac over from Kes and began to internationalize and De Getemde Feeks, are still in the reper , 4" and modernize the repertoire, with the intro toire, Saul and David (inspired by a painting duction of composers like Richard Strauss, of Rembrandt) and a Sinfonietta. He spent Scriabin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and above some time as a violinist in the Utrecht 12 Canadian Joumal of Netherlandic Studies Stedelijk Orkest (Utrecht Municipal Orches interest in botany. He spent many happy tra); he was also active as an organist, and hours in his father's garden where he began a directed various choirs in Utrecht. From collection of seeds, carefully labelled and 1919 to 1937 he was the director ofthe Royal categorized, which he maintained until his Conservatory in The Hague. He was also an home was destroyed during World War II. important conductor and introduced a number of important works into the Dutch By 1908 his health had improved suffi repertoire, among them Mussorgskys Boris ciently for him to attend high school (gymna I Godunov. As a composer he was influenced sium), where he studied for three years, I by Brahms, Berlioz, and Richard Strauss - the wishing to devote himself entirely to music. I latter two especially in the matter of brilliant In 1915 he passed an examination in theo orchestral scoring .. The concert overtures are retical subjects at the Utrecht Conservatory. clearly inspired by Richard Strauss, specifi Here he was taught composition by Johan cally his Don Juan. Wagenaar was an eminent Wagenaar (1862-1941), who introduced him pedagogue, and among his pupils were Peter to his own favourite composers: Berlioz, van Anrooy and Willem Pijper. Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler. Willem Frederick Johannes Pijper4 was The most important thing Wagenaar trans born in Zeist on September 8, 1894 of work mitted to Pijper, however, was his excellent ing-class parents with staunch Calvinist theoretical knowledge, which Pijper in tum leanings, who took a little interest in music. was able to passon to others throughout his His father, a paperhanger who sometimes teaching career. Pijper was an eminent peda played psalm accompaniments on the harmo gogue. First a teacher of harmony, in 1925 he nium, taught him the names of the notes of became the head instructor in composition at the treble clef when he was five. Pijper subse the Amsterdam Conservatory, and in 1930 he quently discovered the use of sharps and flats became the director of the Toonkunst on his own and began composing simple Conservatorium in Rotterdam. Here he melodies. His fascination with symmetrical remained until his death in 1947. musical structures was evident even at this early age. The organist of a nearby church In the 1920s and 1930s Pijper's reputation took an interest in the lad and allowed him to grew rapidly, and he became one of the most play on the church instrument. At ten he respected composers in Europe, drawing the began formal piano lessons and made rapid attention of as prominent a musician as Pierre progress. Monteux, who tirelessly promoted Pijper's Third Symphony (1926, see below) and Poor health (he suffered from a form of other works. As an indication of his rising chronic asthmatic bronchitis) prevented the prominence, we may note that his composi young Pijper from attending regular elemen tions began to be performed at the concerts tary school, and hence for the first 13 years of of the prestigious International Society for his life he was educated at home. During this Contemporary Music. time he made marked intellectual progress, becoming a voracious reader with a particular The war years were difficult for Pijper. Willem Pijper: An Apen;:u 13 During a massive German bombardment of a significant degree of independence in his Rotterdam on May 14, 1940, Pijper's home pupils, as can be gathered from the broad was completely destroyed. Fortunately, he spectrum of styles represented by this list. had stored his manuscripts in a safe-deposit Pijper was also an active performer, working vault several months previously, thereby in particular with the Utrechts Blaassextet preserving them for posterity Pijper spent (wind sextet), and with the Singer Berthe much of his time during these trying years Seroen. Moreover, he occasionally gave piano working on a new opera, Merlijn. He believed recitals during the mid to late 1920s. that the work would be the last great effort of his life, but he also feared that he would not Of greater importance than his perform live to see it completed. In this, Pijper was ances was his activity as a critic. In 1926, unfortunately correct: in late 1946 he was with Paul F Sanders, he established the diagnosed with cancer. It is likely that the periodical De MuZiek, which survived until war years had prevented an earlier diagnosis, 1929. He contributed many essays to his and by this time his condition was beyond periodical, hoping thereby to give guidance treatment. During the closing weeks of his to contemporary Dutch musical life. Collec life he began putting his musical affairs in tions of his essays were published by Querido order; in his last days he rewrote in meticu (Amsterdam) under the title De Quintencirckel lous detail the orchestration to his Concerto (1929) and De Stemvork (1930). for Violoncello and Orchestra, completing the task on February 3, 1947. On March 18 of Pijper's essays are especially important for that year he died at the age of 53. During his an understanding of the fundamentals of his short life he had succeeded in restoring the own compositions and convictions in matters music of his country to a place of prominence of style. At times hampered by a blind faith in in the European musical life of the twentieth his own ideas and direction, Pijper was apt to century attack and criticize rather than to assess objectively And although a remarkably Pijper's appearance must have seemed cerebral musician, Pijper could also be pas rather eccentric. He was afraid of dentists and sionate, and this passion led to a number of spoke with his teeth hidden behind his hand historical errors and misjudgments on his and moustache. None the less he had a part about certain of his colleagues. Never tremendous influence on his students and theless, these essays have permanent value as thus on modern Dutch music. He taught a document of modern musical history in the many future prominent Dutch composers of Netherlands. the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s: Henriette Bosmans, Rudolf Escher, Hans Henkemans, Pijper also contributed a crucial chapter on Piet Ketting, Guillaume Landre, Bertus van contemporary music, characteristically enti Lier, Karel Mengelberg, Henk Badings, and tled "Van Debussy tot heden," to Bernard later Kees van Baaren. Although quite con Smijers' Algemeene Muziekgeschiedenis, which vinced of the merits of his own theoretical appeared in 1957, well after Pijper's death. In and stylistic stance - some would argue he this chapter he quotes with obvious approval was arrogant - Pijper nevertheless encouraged a comment on his compositions by fellow- 14 Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies composer Sem Dresden: could have been composed by Brahms or DvoOak, especially the theme itself and the earlier variations in the tradition of late By the analysis of his works, piece Romanticism. The First String Quartet in F by piece, one could form an minor (1914, D 2"t), dedicated to Johan excellent idea of the gradual shift Wagenaar, reveals similar influences, notably from the tonal system via bi- and that of Brahms. The first movement espe pluritonality to the so-called cially makes us think also of DvoOak and atonal one. From the older me other Czech models such as Josef Suk in its lodic and polyphonal way of use of the parallel thirds and sixths so typical writing to the poly-melodic style, of these composers.

Load more