composer
Ton de Leeuw was born on November 16, 1926 in Rotterdam. He died on May 31, 1996 in Paris (France).
In 1949, after some years of composition lessons with Henk Badings, ...
related works
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Piano
Instruments:
pf
Trois pieces pour piano et orchestre : opus 617 1978, opus 827 1991, opus 886 1995 / Jan van Dijk
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Instruments:
3232 3210 timp 2perc str pf-solo
Concertino da primavera : per pianoforte, quintetto a fiati, archi e timpani, 1978 / Peter Visser
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Instruments:
1111 1000 timp str pf-solo
Concerto : per pianoforte e orchestra / Robert de Roos
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Instruments:
2222 4330 timp perc hp str pf-solo
composition
Danses sacrées : for piano and chamber orchestra, 1989/90 / Ton de Leeuw
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