Netherlands Composers

[Mambo]

If you want to start or add to your Landre collection, his
Symphonic Permutations is another one good to get.
I dont have the year for it, but guessing it is post-1954, the
year of Landre's Fourth Symphony.
A nice 8-note motif opens the work, and Landre uses it throughout
the work - like a theme and variations.
I have seen two performances listed for it:
1 - Limburg Sym. Orch. conducted by Andre Rieu (14'37" listed)
2 - Utrecht Sym. Orch. conducted by Paul Hupperts - this was the
performance i have and timed it at 12'18".
I dont know why there is a 2'19" difference.
Unless i get any more pieces by Landre, will have to leave him
and we can go to another Dutch composer.

[Mambo]

There was a short Dutch wikipedia article on Mul, but this narration
by John van der Steen gives more insight to Mul.

"In this program i'd like you to meet two composers whose works in a way show the same tendency, that is, they both want to please.
Their music is, let's call it, easy on the ears.
It has been said that, the way it is now, 99% of those take part in what is called musical life, do so completely passively.
The general concert goer just sits and listens, likes or dislikes,
he may even talk about the music if the composer is lucky.
But on the whole, he just washes his hands of the whole thing.
Now that's not entirely true. In a country like Holland, and i suppose in a great many countries all over the world, there are a number of
choral societies, brass bands, school orchestras consisting of thousands, tens of thousands of people who realise there is so much more enjoyment in playing and singing yourself, even if you're not
so good at it, as the great musicians you'll hear in concert halls, radio,
or record player.
Here for instance is music by Jan Mul (brass band plays).
No, it is definitely not the kind of music you would expect to hear in
the concert hall, but nevertheless it is music through which the
composer Jan Mul gained popularity among the thousands of lovers of brass band music in Holland, and the hundreds of thousands of
moviegoers. He wrote the music for a Dutch film called "Fanfare" - one of the most attractive products of our modest national film industry. And in this movie too, the music was played by amateurs,
as it is on this recording. The work of Jan Mul comprises a wide
variety of styles and genres.
And he has written music for film, ballet, church music - vocal and instrumental, a comic opera, chamber music, symphonic works,
and what's more, his music is played often and with pleasure.
An important aspect of Jan Mul's character and the reason for his popularity i think, is his sense of humor - his light hearted approach
of a lot of different things which people think should be discussed with the almost gloomy concern, they feel is due to so-called serious music.
Jan Mul never speaks about his work, or about himself for that matter, and that's why i'd like to give you an impression of this
cheerful, jaunty man thru the eyes of his one-time professor,
Hendrik Andriessen - "Jan Mul is a born musician, and in his many
compositions he shows the same art of living which distinguishes
him as a human being in the ponderous world of music. He has proved for instance that it is possible to write genuine church music in an elegantly cheerful style. He is quick witted, amusing, very often out to surprise. Some people call him superficial, and prefer to call
him completely honest with himself, and with his listeners.
The fact that he never even tries to compose serious,complicated pieces proves the genuine nature of his attitude towards life."
So much for Andriessen's opinion of the man. As for Jan Mul the composer, we'll have to turn to his music - light, smiling music,
but very eloquent. Sinfonietta by Jan Mul, played by the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul Hupperts."

This Sinfonietta was light and well orchestrated. It was not on
youtube, but here is one that well reflects the comments
of van der Steen and gives a taste of Mul:

[Mambo]

Originally Posted by Mambo

Some people call him superficial, however
Andriessen calls him completely honest with himself, and with his listeners.

i could not edit, so i rewrote this sentence to clear it up

[Mambo]

Originally Posted by Mambo

Some people call him superficial, however
Andriessen calls him completely honest with himself, and with his listeners.

i could not edit, so i rewrote this sentence to clear it up

[Roehre]

I must admit that I haven't got any music by Jan Mul whatsoever.
I cannot recall ever having heard anything by him either (apart from the for Dutch well-known film "Fanfare", the story about two competing wind bands in an orthodox little hamlet in the Netherlands, with some musical as well as physical altrications, but with a happy ending )
I am afraid that defines his position: even in the Netherlands hardly, if any, music of his is readily available in recorded form

[Mambo]

Mul must be not very well known anywhere - the Sinfonietta was the only work of his i had on the 13-LP set.
I thought you might have the CD pictured above where four
composers are listed, with works for piano duet and orchestra.
Mul was on it, and Arnold (whom i am assuming is Malcolm Arnold), plus two more composers i have not heard of.