Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Gilse
Jan van Gilse fait partie des nombreux musiciens néerlandais dont on ne joue plus la musique en dehors de leur pays d’origine. Un tel oubli s’explique en partie par le peu de charisme du compositeur. Disciple de Humperdink à Berlin, Gilse mena une grande partie de sa carrière en Allemagne et en Italie. Après la Première Guerre mondiale, il revint dans son pays. La germanophobie ambiante le contraignit à démissionner de l’Orchestre d’Utrecht dont il était le chef. Il se consacra à la création de la société des compositeurs néerlandais afin de protéger les droits de ses compatriotes. Violemment antinazi, il fut de plus en plus inquiété par l’occupant allemand. Il mourut dans l’anonymat, évitant le sort de ses deux fils résistants, qui finirent devant le peloton d’exécution
Coming from a family of theologians, Jan van Gilse showed an early aptitude for piano playing and composing. From 1897 onwards, Van Gilse would study at the Cologne conservatory. After his teacher, Franz Wüllner, died in 1902, he continued his studies with Engelbert Humperdinck in Berlin. From 1909 to 1911, he studied in Italy. In 1901, Van Gilse received the Beethoven-Haus Prize in Bonn for his (First) Symphony in F major; In 1906, the Michael Beer Prize was awarded to him for his Third Symphony, 'Erhebung' ('Resurrection'; for soprano solo and orchestra).
In addition to composing, Van Gilse soon developed an interest in conducting. He started out with the Bremen opera, a post which was followed by appointments in Munich and Amsterdam. After the breakout of the First World War made travel difficult, he moved back to the Netherlands. From 1917 until 1922, he was the conductor of the Utrecht Municipal Orchestra (Utrechtsch Stedelijk Orkest).
In 1921, Van Gilse resigned the post after a conflict with the orchestra board of directors. Van Gilse had been attacked for some time by the composer and music critic Willem Pijper in the daily Utrechts Dagblad, attacks that grew in viciousness as time progressed. Van Gilse's request that Pijper be denied access to concerts was stalled for such a time that he lost faith and resigned. The board subsequently refused him a farewell concert.
Eight years later Van Gilse put his Utrecht experiences to paper. The autobiography that materialised was sizeable, and contained almost 350,000 words. However, because he didn't spare anyone or anything (including himself), Van Gilse doubted whether the manuscript would ever see the light of day. It was eventually edited and published in 2003.
During World War II, Van Gilse became actively involved with the resistance movement against the German occupation of the Netherlands. Both his sons, who were also resistance fighters, were killed by the occupiers before Van Gilse himself succumbed (probably to pneumonia) in the autumn of 1944. To protect his shelter, he was buried in an unmarked grave outside the village of Oegstgeest.
From 1933 to 1937, Van Gilse served as director of the Utrecht conservatory. He was also active in protecting the interests of composers in The Netherlands. In 1911, Van Gilse was one of the founders of the Society of Dutch Musicians (Genootschap van Nederlandse Componisten or GENECO). One year later, he was instrumental in founding the Dutch Bureau for Musical Copyrights (Buma).
Van Gilse's early style is indebted to German late romanticism. After about 1920, however, it becomes more modernist. His opera Thijl (1940), often regarded as his masterpiece and arguably the most important opera in Dutch musical history, is one of his last works and a totally individual conception. An attempt by the German occupiers to destroy all of Van Gilse's work was prevented by his collaborators.
Recently, interest for Van Gilse has increased, helped by the publication of his autobiography (edited by Hans van Dijk) and a biography. The German label CPO is set to record his five symphonies as well as the opera Thijl in the near future, under the direction of conductor David Porcelijn.
Biography of Jan van Gilse (in Dutch) at the Institute for Dutch History in The Hague.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfY5XSvg6-Y
http://catalogus.donemus.nl/minisis/publications.php?/144/muzisn_link/publications_detail/sisn+3717?COMMANDSEARCHhttp://www.donemus.nl/componist.php?id=184&lang=EN
Chamber
1927 | Trio : für Flöte, Violine und Bratsche (18') |
1922 | Strijkkwartet : (1922 - onvoltooid) [red. Hans van Dijk] (11') |
1916 | Nonet : hobo, klarinet, fagot, hoorn, 2 violen, altviool, violoncel, contrabas (28') |
Orchestra and Ensemble
1940 | Treurmuziek bij den dood van Uilenspiegel : uit de dramatische legende "Thijl" voor orkest (12') |
after 1935 | Andante con moto |
1936 | Kleine wals : voor orkest (10') |
1928 | Praeludium to "Der Kreis des Lebens", cantata |
1928 | Prologus brevis : für Orchester |
1926 | Drei Tanzskizzen für Klavier und kleines Orchester. (Klavierstimme mit unterlegtem II. Klavier) |
1922 | Symphony No. 5 in D major (Fragment) |
1910-15 | Symphony No. 4 in A major |
1909 | Variaties over een St. Nicolaasliedje : voor klein orkest (Bewerking voor piano 4 handig, van den componist) |
1907 | Symphony No. 3 in D minor, "Erhebung" for soprano and orchestra : Arnhem - Bremen Mai 1906 - September 1907 (55') |
1903-04 | Vorspiel zu der Richard Dehmel'schen Dichtung Eine Lebensmesse : für grosses Orchester |
1903; rev. 1928 | Symphony No. 2 in E flat major : (Sinfonische Fantasie für grosses Orchester) 1902/1903 : revidiert 1928 (33') |
1901 | Symphony No. 1 in F major - October 1900-12 Juni 1901 (45') |
1900 | Concert ouverture : in c Moll : Januari-April 1900 (9') |
Vocal Music
1942 | Rotterdam [tekst van] Jan Prins (unfinished) |
1940 | Mannenkoor : uit de dramatische legende "Thijl" : (Slaet op den trommele) : voor twee solisten (bariton en bas), mannenkoor en orkest tekst: Hendrik Lindt (3') |
1925 | Lied auf dem Flusse : für hohe Stimme und Klavier : Gedicht: Li Tai Po (3') |
1923 | Drei Gesänge aus Rabindranath Tagore's Der Gärtner : (The gardener) : für eine Sopranstimme und Orchester |
1915 | Drei Gesänge aus Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali : für eine Sopranstimme und Orchester (14') |
1908 | 2 liederen : op Duitse tekst : für eine hohe Singstimme und Klavier |
1908 |
Vier liederen : op
teksten van Detlev von Liliencron : zang en piano no. 1. Auf eine Hand no. 2. Auf einer grünen Wiese no. 3. Hans der Schwärmer no. 4. Säntis |
1908 | Lied der heiligen Jungfrau : aus "Schwester Beatrix" von Maurice Maeterlinck : (Deutsch von Oppeln-Bronikowsky) : für eine mittlere Stimme und Klavier (2') |
1908 | Neergebrand : voor een middenstem en piano [tekst] (Dina Mollinger Hooyer) |
1907 | Erhebung : Sinfonie No 3 : für eine hohe Sopranstimme und grosses Orchester : Arnhem - Bremen Mai 1906 - September 1907 (55') |
1905 | Zwei Abendlieder : für eine mittlere Singstimme und Klavier (5') |
1905 | Drei Gesänge : für eine mittlere Singstimme und Orchester |
1902 | Sulamith : für Sopran, Tenor u. Barytonsolo, Chor u. grosses Orchester (Dichtung von Emil Prinz zu Schönaich-Carolath) (30') |
1902 |
3 Gedichte von
Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel : für eine hohe Singstimme und Klavierbegleitung no. 1. Waldnacht no. 2. Entweihung no. 3. Geheimnis |
Vier Gedichte von Conrad
Ferdinand Meyer : für eine mittlere Singstimme und Klavier no. 1. Der Reisebecher no. 2. Auf dem Canal Grande no. 3. Eingelegte Ruder no. 4. Schnitterlied |
Opera - Theater
1940 | Thijl : dramatische legende in een proloog, drie bedrijven en een epiloog : naar "De heldhaftige, vroolijke en roemrijke daden van Uilenspiegel en Lamme Goedzak in Vlaanderenland en elders" van Charles de Coster, libretto van Hendrik Lindt (170') |
1913 | Frau Helga von Stavern : Musikdrama in drei Aufzügen : (nach einer friesischen Legende) Text und Musik von Jan van Gilse (200') |