related works
String quartet II : (1964) / Ton de Leeuw
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
String quartet (2 violins, viola, cello)
Scoring:
2vl vla vc
Concerto : per forte-piano e orchestra / Marius Monnikendam
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Scoring:
2222 4330 timp perc str pf-solo
Concert in G : piano, orkest, 1975 / Wim Franken
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Scoring:
3222 2210 2perc str pf-solo
Concertino da primavera : per pianoforte, quintetto a fiati, archi e timpani, 1978 / Peter Visser
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Scoring:
1111 1000 timp str pf-solo
composition
Danses sacrées : for piano and chamber orchestra, 1989/90 / Ton de Leeuw
Other authors:
Leeuw, Ton de
(Composer)
Description:
Program note (English): Many rhythmic movements in this work are reminiscent of dance rhythms, varying in tempo and character. This, however, is a suggestion rather than formal reality: the composition is not a dance suite, and the 'danses' are not actually dances. They can be described as imaginary dance movements in the background, giving shape to the sounds of piano and orchestra.
Dance, movement and music reflect, on a human level, the incessant flow of moving matter in our universe. They are, as it were, a stylized rendition of it. When this unity is experienced, dance and music become sacral in character. Hence the title: "Danses sacrées" , for a work consisting of a number of movements, which are sometimes connected immediately, sometimes by way of short cadences.
The first half of the composition is a chain of relatively short movements; in the second half the movements are somewhat longer. In the first half the piano generally sets the tone, with the orchestra accompanying. In the second half the orchestral contributions to the musical design are more vital. The orchestra largely determines the continuous rhythmic drive, which is often encircled by piano figures. - TON DE LEEUW