related works
Concerto d'un bon esprit : pour piano et orchestre de chambre / Marijn Simons
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Piano and orchestra
Scoring:
fl(pic) ob(eh) cl fg(cfg) h trb 2perc str(5.4.3.3.1.) pf-solo
Introduction, theme and variations : for violin and guitar, 1983 / Henk Badings
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
g vl
Vice versa : voor altsaxofoon en marimba, opus 95, 1982 / Géza Frid
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
sax-a mar
Deux Arabesques : for ensemble / Claude Debussy; bewerking Henk Alkema
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
fl cl hp pf vla vlc
composition
Capriccio for Stan & Ollie : for 9 players / Marijn Simons
Other authors:
Simons, Marijn
(Composer)
Contains:
Allegro capriccioso (Stan & Ollie)
Tempo di marcia (Bonnie Scotland)
Serenade-andante (Swiss miss)
Molto vivace (The cuckoo)
Description:
Program note (English): When watching one of Laurel and Hardy movies, I usually split my sides laughing. The Capriccio for Stan & Ollie is a tribute as it were to these unsurpassed comedians. I had wanted to dedicate a piece of music to them for some time, but that turned out to be not so simple, for how does one compose 'funny music' ? The first movement, with the subtitle Stan & Ollie, very much characterizes the two; the instruments combat more or less but at the same time they can't do without one another. I leave it to the listener to decide which instrument depicts who. As a fan of Laurel and Hardy you will probably remember the scene in Bonnie Scotland where Stan makes the soldiers march out of step with his pranks. The 'tempo di marcia', the second movement, is based on this scene and is therefore in 5/8 measure. In the film Swiss Miss, Ollie sings a lovely serenade for a pretty girl, clumsily accompanied by Stan on his euphonium. In the third movement, the bassoons - in a contrary fashion -
play this euphonium part. Many of Laurel and Hardy films start and end with the cuckoo theme (Marvin Hatley). In the last movement I have written variations on three elements from this theme, leading to an enormous climax.... only to end once more in a very simple finale. I composed Capriccio for Stan & Ollie, opus 11a, in 1996 almost simultaneously with the violin and piano version, opus 11. - MARIJN SIMONS