composer
Bram Kortekaas was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1989. He studied composition with Willem Jeths and Wim Henderickx at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and political science at the University ...
related works
Made in Holland 17 New Dutch Blues : for piano / Elizabeth Gaskill
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Piano
Scoring:
pf
Scherzo : for symphony orchestra, 2004 / Kees Olthuis
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3333 4331 timp 4perc str
Concert ouverture : voor orkest / Jan van Gilse, 1900
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
fl fl(pic) 2ob 2cl 2fg cfg 4h 2trp 3trb timp perc str
Sonant : for orchestra, 1986 / Walter Hekster
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
2232 4431 3-4perc 2hp str
composition
L'Élue : Prelude pour orchestre / Bram Kortekaas
Description:
L'Élue (The Chosen One) is written as a companion piece to Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring). L'Élue is a prelude not just in the musical sense. Its story precedes the actions the ballet Le Sacre du Printemps.
Stravinsky’s ballet focusses on the collective actions of a pagan tribe. In L'Élue the attention is shifted to the individual within this tribe. The composition explores the feelings of a young woman, who is afraid of becoming the Chosen One for this year’s sacrifice.
Stravinsky’s concept of Day and Night for the first and second part of Le Sacre du Printemps (as described in The Rite of Spring: sketches 1911-1913, page xxi) are mirrored in L'Élue.
The composition starts with an impression of the night (La Nuit). At dawn, the first signs of Spring appear (À l'Aube du Printemps). This is noticed by the young woman, presented by the Alto Flute. The realization that the tribe’s yearly Spring sacrifice approaches fills her with dread. In a premonition, she sees herself as that year’s The Chosen One (La Prémonition de L’Élue). The premonition dissolves, after which Le Sacre du Printemps is performed attacca.