Dutch Music and Musicians - a beginning

blokfluit

mondharmonica

gitaar

viool met strijkstok - 2

piano

I started this page because Marilyn Cooley of Classical WETA in Arlington, VA asked for the pronunciation of a few Dutch names; after that Bert Melman provided most of the classical-music names. Without Marilyn and Bert, this page wouldn't exist.
Feel free to send me your suggestions.

Dutch Music Vocabulary

* - originally German names
** - originally French names

Classical Musicians

Frans Brüggen* recorder Emmy Verhey violin >> Janine** Jansen violin >>

Herman Krebbers violin Anner Bijlsma cello - 2

André** Rieu** violin, director >>

Gustav* Leonhardt* keyboards - 2

Isabelle van Keulen violin/viola >>

Liza Ferschtman violin >> - 2 (a Russian name)

Francien Schatborn viola - 2

Ronald Hoogeveen violin

Christiaan Bor violin >> - 2

Pieter Wispelwey cello >>

Hans Oudenaarden piano - 2

Léon Berben harpsichord, organ >>

Singers

Christina Deutekom Marco Bakker - 2

Cora Burggraaf >>

Christianne Stotijn >> - 2

Elly Ameling

Composers Contemporary

Peter Schat Louis** Andriessen Lex van Delden

Matthijs Vermeulen Tristan Keuris - 2

Alphons Diepenbrock Jan Wagenaar

Willem Pijper Leo Smit

Conductors

Jaap van Zweden Edo de Waard - 2

Bernard Haitink - 2

Eduard van Beinum

Willem Mengelberg

Philippe** Herreweghe - 2 - 3		Sigiswald* Kuijken - 2 - 3
Willem van Otterloo Rogier van Otterloo

Messrs Herreweghe and Kuijken are Belgian.
'Sigiswald' is a German name, but I took the liberty to pronounce it in the Dutch way; the full German pronunciation ( - 2) would be too harsh.

Miscellaneous

Concertgebouw (Concerts Building - Amsterdam) Concertgebouworkest (Concerts Building Orchestra) Residentieorkest (The Queen's Residence Orchestra - The Hague)

Composers 1400-1600

Joske van der Weiden [Dutch name] (Josquin des Prés) [French version] - 2

Peerke Verstraeten [Dutch name] (Pierre de la Rue) [French version] - 2 - 3

Johannes Ockeghem Jacob Obrecht

Adriaan Willaert Orlandus Lassus [Latinized name] (Orlando di Lasso) [Italian? name]

Music from The Time of Vermeer

Piet Hein
There is a well-known song about admiral (and pirate) Piet Hein (also spelled Heyn) and his 1628 capture of the Spanish silver fleet; the song may well be recent, but it could also be something that Vermeer and the people in his paintings were familiar with.
The stockholders of the West India Company made something like 50 to 75% on their investment in the year of the Silver Fleet (sources differ on the amount.)

Hear a few very nice pieces of keyboard music from Vermeer's time, played on the Virginals by Mr Joop Klaassen of the Netherlands at The Essential Vermeer

Almande de Symmerman Courante Daphne Malle Symen Jan Sweelink Susanne van Soldt - 2

Muselaer Spinet virginaal klavecimbel (harpsichord) Ruckers Louis van Emmerik Het Vleeshuis ("The Meat Hall" lit.: house)

Composers Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck Jacob van Eyck Dirck Janszoon Scholl Servaas Koninck

instruments luit (lute) cister (cittern) citer (cither) gitaar (guitar) viool (violin)

klavecimbel (harpsichord) blokfluit (recorder) trompet (trumpet)

Der Fluyten Lusthof (collection of compositions for solo recorder by Jacob van Eyck) De Nederlantsche Gedenckclanck (songbook) De Muiderkring (private musical and literary party) De Amsterdamse Schouwburg (theatre)

Constantijn Huygens (private secretary to the Stadholders, poet, musician, composer and art connoisseur) Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (poet) Gerbrand Adriaanszoon Bredero (playwright and poet) Maria Tesselschade (poetess and musician)

The Dutch Anthem (Het Wilhelmus)

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Ben ik van Duitsen bloed Den Vaderland getrouwe Blijf ik tot in den doet Een prinse van Oranje Ben ik, vrij, onverveerd Den konink van Hispanje Heb ik altijd geëerd (ca 250K) - please rise

I am William of Nassau A man of our people Loyal to the Fatherland I'll remain to my dying day I am a prince of Orange Free and without fear The king of Spain I have always respected

It's in 16th-century Dutch with German-like declinations.
There are various interpretations of 'van Duitsen bloed.' In modern Dutch, it would read as 'of German blood,' and one opinion is that it points to William's German descent. I think the 'Duits' means 'us, our tribe, we the people,' so: 'I am a man of our people.' The Dutch word 'Duits' is from the old Germanic word 'theudo,' ('diutisc' in old High German), which the Germanic tribes used to refer to themselves, like we would say 'of our nation, our people.' This word is the root of English 'Dutch,' and these three words that mean 'German:' Dutch 'Duits,' German 'Deutsch,' and Italian 'Tedesci.'
The opposite, 'not of our people, strangers' is found in Great Britain as Welsh and Wales, and in the word for the French-speaking Belgians, Walloons in Wallonia.

Some of The Contemporary Music Scene

Tijs (Thijs) Verwest (Tiësto) Ferry Corsten Armin van Buuren

Paul van Dyk Benno de Goeij Sander Kleinenberg Ilse de Lange - 2

(alternate) Paul van Dyk Benno de Goeij Piet Bervoets Sander Kleinenberg - 2

Rockers of Old

Peter Koelewijn Joost den Draaier (dj) (= Willem van Kooten)	Cuby + Blizzards Harry Muskee Eelco Gelling Herman Brood	The Golden Earring George Kooymans Cesar Zuiderwijk Rinus Gerritsen Frank Krassenburg
Focus Thijs van Leer Jan Akkerman Pierre van der Linden	Q65 Frank Nuyens Wim Bieler Dick Schulte Nordholt	Earth & Fire Gerard Koerts Chris Koerts Jerney Kaagman

Robert Jan Stips (Supersister) Kaz Lux (Brainbox) Rick van der Linden (Ekseption)	Robbie van Leeuwen (The Motions, Shocking Blue) Peter Tetteroo (The Tee Set) Wally Tax (The Outsiders) Ronald Splinter (The Outsiders)
more: Dutch wikipedia

An Enigmatic Children's Song

Witte zwanen, zwarte zwanen		White swans, black swans
Wie gaat er mee naar England varen?		Who's going to sail with me to England?
Engeland is gesloten		England is closed
De sleutel is gebroken		The key is broken
En er is geen smid in 't land		And there is no blacksmith [to be found] in the land
Die die sleutel maken kan		Who can repair that key
Naar voren, naar voren		come forward, come forward
Wie achter is moet voren		Those at the back should come to the front

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2008. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2