Photo by Ton SciaroniHans Bakker
After he had finished his studies in piano, church organ and choral conducting in Utrecht, Hans Bakker (b. 1945) began teaching piano at music schools in two places in the Netherlands. Apart from his teaching practice, he conducted two choirs and was active in the improvisational music scene. His career in music was followed by the study of Sanskrit. After his successful graduation from the University of Amsterdam, he returned to music, becoming completely occupied by teaching at the Globe Center for Art and Culture in the city of Hilversum. Initially, composing was only a minor occupation next to Bakker's other work. Since 1997 it became a daily routine. He wrote a great number of chamber music works and many choir compositions, including the cycle of choirs Praśasti. He also composed works for orchestra and six pieces for carillon. http://www.beiaardcentrum.com/webshop/category/originele-beiaardmuziek
His first Navona Records album THE UNNAMED SOURCE features moving performances by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Vit Micka and an astounding array of its instrumentalists. Later compilation releases include SLICES, namely his Duo voor viool en klarinet, and SEEKING & FINDING (seven choral works performed by the Kühn Choir Prague). Featured on the following compilation album DANCES OF ETERNITY are Bakker's orchestral works Canzona L'altra Persona and Canzona II: Tribute to the Sun. His last Navona Records release was PINNACLE, including Brenne, Leys III and Hortus Conclusus.
"....I have heard some things by Netherlander Hans Bakker before and have enjoyed his direct and compelling style. The two canzoni heard here: Canzona L'altra Persona and Canzona II Tribute to the Sun are both absorbing works and offer some nice contrast. The 'L'altra Persona' is a very brooding, introspective work that sounds a little bit like film music in places (perhaps John Barry) and tension-filled throughout but his 'Tribute to the Sun' is a work that starts dark and gets "brighter" (if you will) and really does exude a sunrise feel to it. I thought these two works work very well separately but also pair very well, as heard here...."
Audiophile Audition, DANCES OF ETERNITY, June 11, 2013 - by Daniel Coombs
“More than 19 years ago the source of my music started to flow after I became acquainted with the writings of the German painter and writer Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken. The resulting music is sometimes expansive and outward, with expression of state of mind or emotion, such as in Canzona L’Altra Persona and Canzona II Tribute to the Sun for orchestra. Sometimes my music is more personal and inward, such as in Gott and Canto 33 for choir”. – Hans Bakker
Hans Bakker publishes and sells his works via MusicaNeo.
Photo by Joanna Greve, De Zoele Haven, Amsterdam (Netherlands)Peter Greve
Peter Greve was born in 1931 in The Hague (Netherlands). He received musical training in The Hague from Jean Antonietti and Léon Orthel (piano), Theo Laanen (trumpet), Dr Marcus van Crevel (theory), and later from Willem Frederik Bon (Amsterdam), Myers Foggin (UK) and Terence Lovett (UK) in orchestral conducting. Parallel, he studied at the State University of Leiden (Netherlands), where he obtained M.Sc. (1957) and Ph.D. (1959) degrees in chemistry. After his studies, he worked as a scientific researcher for Philips-Duphar Pharmaceutial Industry and for the Dutch Ministry of Public Health and Environmental Hygiene, but remained active in music on a part-time basis. From 1981 to 2002, he worked as a consultant for various national and international organisations in East-Asia, Eastern Europe, Central-America and Arab countries. Since his retirement in 2002, he is, - fulfilling a wish felt since his early youth - , a full-time musician, working as a composer, arranger, conductor and pianist. He is a member of the Society of Dutch Composers (Nieuw-Geneco) and of BUMA/Stemra (Dutch organisation in charge of the collection of music copyrights).
Peter Greve lives in 's-Graveland, a village ca 20 km south-east of Amsterdam. He publishes and sells the scores and parts of his works through the foundation "Peter Greve, componist & arrangeur"
(contact: info@petergreve.nl).
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