related works
Syntaxis II : voor symphonieorkest / Ton de Leeuw
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
3fl fl(pic) 4ob 4cl 4rfg 4h 4trp 4trb tb 3perc hp pf(cel) str
Toccata, Aria & Fuga : for two pianos / Robert Groslot
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Piano
Scoring:
2pf
24 chansonnettes : pour piano, Livre I / Hugo Godron
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Piano
Scoring:
pf
Imaginary Bow I, II : for vibraphone or piano / Florian Wittenburg
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Piano
Scoring:
vibr/pf
composition
Men go their ways : for piano, (1964) / Ton de Leeuw
Other authors:
Leeuw, Ton de
(Composer)
Description:
Program note (English): The title is taken from an English translation of a Japanese haiku: haikus are short 17-syllable poems which are open to various interpretations. This haiku formed the inspiration for a number of songs, from which the five piano pieces with the above title originated. They are not in fact related structurally to the poem; rather they are based on the typical freedom of interpretation associated with the haiku tradition. This shapes the music in that there is an attempt to install each individual note, and the music as a whole, with as deep as possible a life of its own, rather than forcing it into a predetermined act of will or expression. This applies not only to the composition but also to its performance: the composer's idea of a good performance is one which leaves the actual interpretation to the listener. The pianist should therefore play neither with deliberate expression nor with deliberate objectivity: he should aim to allow the material to sound as freely as possible,
leaving aside any aesthetic of tension. The pianist is just as much a listener as are the members of the audience - and as was the composer when he created the work. This is not as easy as it might appear; non-intervention is one of the most difficult tasks an interpreter must endure. - TON DE LEEUW