The Netherlands East

Concert hall, built in 1847, altered in 1864, 1889 and 1983. Bartók appeared in this hall in 1925 together with the violinist Zoltán Székely. Arnhem had an early link with Mahler. In 1903 sounded his Third Symphony: the Dutch première, some days before the performance in Amsterdam under Mahler’s baton. In 1906 Mengelberg conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra with the Fifth Symphony. That’s why the adjacent café has been baptized Grandcafé Mahler. Before its demolition in the 1860s, the St Catherine hospital at Beekstraat 40 – a former monastery – was an important venue for concerts. Appearances by the Italian violinist and composer Carlo Tesserini (1690-1766), who lived in the Netherlands at the end of his life.

The conservatory, originating from a private music school, was established in 1956 and is now a part of ArtEZ, a conglomeration of music, theatre and art academies in the three cities of Arnhem, Enschede and Zwolle. The curriculum includes jazz, pop and music theatre.

Organ by Chr. L. König, 1776, III/p/54; the famous physician and musician Albert Schweitzer played this instrument in 1928 and 1932, collecting money for his mission and hospital of Lambaréné (in present Gabon).

Three more organs: anon. 1710, I/pull-down pedal/10; van Assendelft, 1740, I/5; Glerinck, 1860, II/p/12.

Béla Bartók stayed here in autumn 1925 with the violinist Zoltán Székely. The two were befriended; Bartók dedicated the 2^nd Rhapsody and the 2^nd Violin Concerto to Zoltan. During this visit they worked at Székely’s transcription of the Rumanian Folk Dances for Violin and piano. They gave concerts in Arnhem and Utrecht.

The house was of the Everts family; the daughter Mientje (Igminia) became Zoltanś wife in 1926.

Second stay of Bartók with Szekely, Februari 1932. They should have worked at the 44 Violin Duos, written in 1931 and published in 1933. Bartók visited the Netherlands in total nine times, from 1923 to1939. In 1935 he visited Székely in a new home in Santpoort.

The address then was Kwakkenbergweg 275; it was afterwards renumbered to 39.

nl5.1211

Originally a museum of the Roman Catholic Missionaries in Africa, est. in 1954. Today a branch of the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. Collection of ethnographica, including instruments.

Collection of accordions, harmonicas and related instruments; shop and repair workshop . www.accordeonmuseum.nl

The former chapel (1316), now concert hall, has the disposal of two 18^th century organs and a Érard grand from 1875. Outside is a plaque of Franz Liszt, recalling a nice story. The composer, traveling by boat on the Waal river in 1842, was struck by the sound of the Hemony carillon from 1654 and visited the player, the municipal organist Carolus Leenhoff. The latter’s daughter Suzanne was a talented pianist and through Liszt’s intervention could study in Paris. There she made a living as pianist and met the famous painter Edouard Manet, with whom she married in Zaltbommel in 1863.

Zaltbommel was the birthplace of Peter van Anrooy (1879-1954), conductor of the Residentieorkest in the Hague and composer of the still popular Piet Hein Rhapsodie (1901).

Organ by Andries Wolfferts, 1783, and A. Heijneman, 1796. III.ped.37. The Bourdon 8’ is from 1590. Some additions in the 19^th century by A. Naber, incl. a Viola da gamba.

The numerous exhibits of the Elvis Presley Museum were collected by admirers of the singer and the museum was opened in 2002 by Ria Flake, a former staff member of Elvis’ home Graceland. 

For visits, see http://www.elvismuseum.nl

Bust of Fréderique Chopin, offered by the Polish Embassy in 2010. (Why Culemborg?...)

During a tour of Beethoven’s parents in 1772 as singers in the group of comedians of a certain Carl Gondorff, Magdalena may have given birth to a son in Zutphen. Because there was no catholic priest, they could not instantly obtain a baptismal certificate and they decided to use that of their previous son Ludwig, born in 1770 but shortly afterwards deceased. That means that the composer actually should not have been born in 1770, but in 1772, and not in Bonn but in Zutphen! Moreover, Beethoven himself thought that he was born in 1772 ─ that is a matter of fact; nevertheless the above theory is up to now put aside as ‘rumour’.

In the new music museum he is a central figure amidst the collection of historic pianos, belonging to the Conservatory of Amsterdam; they were formerly exposed in the Geelvinckhuis there and the intention is that they will once return to Amsterdam; so the future of the museum is insecure.

Bad news: in November 2019, the museum was forced to close its doors. Geelvinck has still another address, Kamperweg 23, Heerde – not a museum. For actual news, cf. www.geelvinck.nl .

The tower of the Saltpoort was the house of the municipal trumpet player Thonis van Grol, called 'Drogenap' (mid 16^th century); plaque and monument (Rambonnet 1999).

Birthplace of the composer Jan Brandts Buys (1868-1933). From 1893 he lived and worked in Austria, where he had a very successful career.

Monumental early baroque organ by Hendrik Bader from 1643. III/p/39. The long reverberation in the church is said to play tricks on a distant listener.

Of the famous first tuned carillon by Pieter and François Hemony from 1644, struck by fire in 1920, only a few bells survived; they have been dispersed over the country (Enschede Lasonderkerk and Asten nl4.2341). The fine new carillon (van Bergen 1950, Eysbouts 1980s) comprises 48 bells.

Monument (2018) of the rock band Normaal , which was established in 1974 by Bennie Jolink and dissolved in 2015. Singing in the regional dialect of the Achterhoek, they were very popular here – and since 1977 (release of the hit Oerend Hard) also in the rest of the country.

This museum is devoted to the Golden Years of Dutch Pop Music (1960s-‘70s) and specially to Radio Veronica, originally a pirate radio station at sea. The informative and comprehensive exhibition is opened on Fridays and Saturdays. https://www.192tv.tv/192-museum

This museum is devoted to the history of organs and organ making in the Netherlands. It is housed In a historical building and contains instruments, parts and photos. CDs, sheet music and photos are for sale in the museum shop.  No website.

Birthplace of Kees van Baaren °1906. The house has been much altered; he lived in Enschede until 1943. Van Baaren introduced dodecaphony in the Netherlands, became director of the Conservatory in The Hague in 1957 and was teacher of many members of the Dutch avant-garde, including Louis Andriessen and Peter Schat.

New building complex (1986-2008) with music theatre, concert halls, poppodium Atak/Metropool, conservatory, music school and offices of the Nederlandse Reisopera and the Phion orchestra (= Philharmonie Oost Nederland). www.muziekkwartier.nl

The conservatory – formerly Twents Muzieklyceum, then Twents Conservatorium – was established in the

1960s. Music therapy is an important part of the curriculum. 

De Tor was opened in 1970 and became a vivacious and renowned jazz stage, where various famous musicians eagerly appeared. www.jazzpodiumdetor.nl

Birthplace of the song composer Harry Bannink (1929-1999). He created about 3000 songs for cabaret and radio and television programms, always finding the right notes to the words.

Birthplace of count Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer Obdam, °1692 (> nl3.1011). The beautiful gardens can be visited; the castle itself is not accessible for public.

Delden is in the heart of the region of Twente. During Advent time, the old tradition of blowing the midwinterhoorn in farmyards is still maintained there. For more information, let your browser search for ‘midwinterhoorn tradition’.

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was born in 1562, probably in this former organistenhuis (now 't Huis de Reiger; plaque by Ela Venbroek, 2012). Its fine façade was erected in the late 17^th century.

Sweelinck’s father, Pieter Swybbertszoon, was organist in the Grote of Lebuinuskerk. In 1564 the family moved to Amsterdam.

The present organ was made in 1836-39 by Joh. Heinrich Holtgräve; III/p/45. He used pipes from the preceding organs by Schnitger (1722) and Bader (1665). The present reeds are Schnitger copies. During a short visit on 3.IX.1750, Händel played the Bader organ before a group of enthousiast listeners.

The organist and composer Johann Adam Reincken was born in Deventer in 1643 and was active here as organist in 1657-58 (his organ is not extant). Then he left for Hamburg, where he worked until his death in 1722.

Organ by Arp Schnitger and sons, 1721, IV/p/64. Frans Caspar Schnitger, †1729, was buried in this church.

The conservatory of Zwolle was established in 1957 and functions as the department of classical music within the ArtEZ group since 2004. The building is a former monastery.

The collection of organs, components, utensils and documentation is exposed since 1954 in the fortified Arent thou Boecophuis (1395, with a 18^th century façade). One room is devoted to the composer Sweelinck.

www.nationaalorgelmuseum.nl

Monumental organ by Albertus Antoni Hinsz, 1742. With parts of its predecessor of 1670 and of a still earlier instrument and additions from the 19^th century. Present disposition IV/p/56.

Collection Braad of fifty restored harmoniums. Free visits at weekend afternoons.