English-American composer Oscar Bettison moved to the Netherlands in the late 1990s to study with Louis Andriessen and Martijn Padding, a period he characterises as decisive in finding his musical voice, as adventurous and unpredictable as Andriessen’s. For the opening night of Gaudeamus Festival, Bettison is writing a brand new piece in response to Andriessen’s De Staat, with that piece’s same instrumentation: a mirror composition with a very different atmosphere. A group of pianos, harps and guitars form the core, while some players change position and singers encourage the brass and invoke the night.
Before the concert, composer Calliope Tsoupaki declares ‘The State of Dutch New Music’.
Oscar Bettison (1975) - On the slow weather of dreams (2024)
I After Eifuku Mon’in
II A Compendium 1
III
IV Prisms and Prisms
V
VI A Compendium 2
VII
VIII Thresholds and Seas
IX A Compendium 3
X
XI Por las Estrellas
XII
XIII Ether and Forgetting
Performers
Asko|Schönberg
Ensemble Klang
Studenten Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Clark Rundell - conductor
Musicians
Asko|Schönberg
Bauwien van der Meer - soprano
Els Mondelaers - soprano
Anna Trombetta - mezzo-soprano
Michaela Riener - mezzo-soprano
Evert Weidner - oboe
Bram Kreeftmeijer - oboe
Fokke van Heel - horn
Eli Oltra - horn
Austris Apenis - horn
Arthur Kerklaan - trumpet
Rutger Pereboom - trumpet
Bianca Egberts - trumpet
Maarten Elzinga - trumpet
Sebastiaan Kemner - trombone
Koen Kaptijn - trombone
Marijn Migchielsen - trombone, bass trombone
Pauline Post - keyboards
Wiek Hijmans - electric guitar
Astrid Haring - harp
Carla Bos - harp
Liesbeth Steffens - viola
Marijke van Kooten - viola
Hannah Donahoe - viola
Jordi Carrasco Hjelm - bass guitar
Klang
Anton van Houten - trombone
Saskia Lankhoorn - keyboards
Pete Harden - electric guitar
Students of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Olivia Belzuz - oboe
Andrea Muñoz Quintana - oboe
Oscar Schmidt - horn
May Bardsley - viola
With thanks to Petro Latas for the sound design in On the Slow Weather of Dreams.
Photo © Kyle Dorosz