Johan van der Meer (conductor)

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Johan van der Meer during trial work, 1980

Johan van der Meer (born November 26, 1913 in Noordhorn , NL; † April 24, 2011 in Achim ) was a Dutch conductor and pioneer in the field of historical performance practice .

Life

Van der Meer has advocated an authentic approach to baroque music since the early 1970s . Original instruments, a dramatic text declamation in the sense of musical rhetoric and moderate, not too fast tempos played a role. Among his recordings are the vocal works by composers such as Heinrich Schütz , Josquin Desprez , Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Georg Friedrich Handel , but above all Johann Sebastian Bach . Performances of post-Baroque works such as the motets and celebratory and memorial speeches by Johannes Brahms remained the exception and met with criticism because van der Meer interpreted them entirely in a baroque manner.

In 1945, at the suggestion of Gerardus van der Leeuw, he founded the semi-professional choir Groningse Bachvereniging , which he directed until January 1984. While the choir sang music from eras from the 15th to the 20th century and different stylistic periods in the first 25 years, from 1970 onwards it concentrated on baroque music in historical performance practice. Van der Meer made Nikolaus Harnoncourt famous in the Netherlands in 1970. The permanent orchestral accompanist of the Groningse Bachvereniging , the Noordelijk Filharmonisch Orkest , did not seem to be available for a performance of Bach's Magnificat . Instead, Van der Meer was able to win Harnoncourt with his Concentus Musicus Vienna , whom he had met shortly before at the “Bremen Days for Early Music”.

With the Groningse Bachvereniging he performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion for the first time in historical style in the Netherlands in 1973 . For this he had invited various Dutch and Flemish musicians. In this project, the soloists Marius van Altena ( evangelist ), Max van Egmond ( Christ ), three boy soloists from the Tölzer Knabenchor , René Jacobs (alto), Harry Geraerts and Michiel ten Houte de Lange (tenor) as well as Frits van Erven Dorens and Harry sang van der Kamp (bass). Ton Koopman and Bob van Asperen took part on the organ . In order to avoid possible damage to the reputation of the Groningse Bachvereniging , the performances took place in Sappemeer and Schiedam . The 1973 concert, however, was a success that cemented van der Meer's reputation and represented an important milestone in the Dutch early music movement.

Johan van der Meer was considered to be deeply convinced of his point of view, extremely critical and incompatible with resistance. At the same time, through his enthusiasm, he was for a long time a catalyst for the collaboration of great artists, including Gustav Leonhardt with his Leonhardt Consort , Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra , Peter Kooij and Sigiswald Kuijken with La Petite Bande .

The bassist Rein de Vries took over from van der Meer as conductor in 1984. Until old age van der Meer advocated historical performance practice. In the later years he withdrew more and more from public life. He spent the last years of his life in Bremen, where he died on Easter Sunday 2011 at the age of 97. He was married to. His son Richte van der Meer is a baroque cellist.

literature

  • Jolande van der Klis: Johan van der Meer, conductor Groningse Bachvereniging (1913–2011) . In: Tijdschrift Oude Muziek . tape 26/2 , 2011, p. 16-17 (Dutch, online ).
  • Jolande van der Klis: Een tuitje in de aardkorst. Kroniek van de oude muziek 1976-2006 . Kok, Kampen 2007, ISBN 978-90-435-1322-7 ( limited preview in Google book search).
  • Emile Wennekes: posterity in the neighboring country. Aspects of Bach maintenance in the Netherlands, approx. 1850–2000 . In: Tijdschrift van de Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis . tape 50 , no. 1/2 , 2000, pp. 110-130 (Dutch).

Recordings / sound carriers

  • Heinrich Schütz: Symphoniae sacrae. Groningse Bachvereniging, Berlin ensemble for early music. 1972.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion (excerpts). Soloists of the Tölzer Knabenchor, René Jacobs , Marius van Altena, Harry Geraerts, Michiel ten Houte de Lange, Max van Egmond , Harry van der Kamp , Frits van Erven Dorens, Groningse Bachvereniging, Leonhardt-Consort , Alarius Ensemble . musica da camera, 1973.
  • Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck: Pseaumes de David. Groningse Bachvereniging. 1974.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: High Mass. (Excerpts). Boy soprano of the Tölzer Knabenchor, Kevin Smith, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond, Groningse Bachvereniging, La Petite Bande . 1975.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: St. John Passion. Marjanne Kweksilber , Charles Brett, Marius van Altena, Harry Geraerts, Max van Egmond, Harry van der Kamp, Groningse Bachvereniging. Fiori musicali , 1979.
  • Christoph Demantius: German Passion according to the evangelist St. John and prophecy according to Isaiah 53 as well as organ works by Samuel Scheidt. Groningse Bachvereniging, Cleveland Johnson , 1981.
  • Georg Friedrich Handel: Israel in Egypt. Mieke van der Sluis, Hedwig van der Meer, John York Skinner, Theo Altmeyer, Peter Kooy , Harry van der Kamp, Groningse Bachvereniging. Fiori musicali, 1982.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Jolande van der Klis: Johan van der Meer, conductor Groningse Bachvereniging (1913–2011) . In: Tijdschrift Oude Muziek . tape 26/2 , 2011, p. 16-17 (Dutch, online ). Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  2. ^ So the report in the Rheiderland-Zeitung about the Brahms concert on August 28, 1983 in Weener.
  3. ↑ Ton Koopman en de authentieke uitvoeringspraktijk in Nederland (Dutch), accessed on May 10, 2019.
  4. ↑ Jolande van der Klis: Een tuitje in de aardkorst. Kroniek van de oude muziek 1976-2006 . Kok, Kampen 2007, ISBN 978-90-435-1322-7 ( limited preview in Google book search).
personal data
SURNAME Meer, Johan van der
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meer, Johannes van der
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch conductor
DATE OF BIRTH November 26, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Noordhorn , NL
DATE OF DEATH April 24, 2011
Place of death Achim (Verden district)