This year, the Huygens-Fokker Foundation commemorates the 25th anniversary of the death of Henk Badings (Bandung, Dutch East Indies, 17 January 1907 – Hugten near Maarheeze, 26 June 1987). His significant contribution to the 31-tone repertoire will be highlighted during this concert. Badings composed four works for the Fokker organ. In 1954, he wrote his Reeks van kleine klankstukken in selectieve toonsystemen for 31-tone organ. In this series, he makes use of several twelve-tone rows (selected from the 31 tones) that are pre-programmed and played by means of a traditional twelve-tone keyboard on the organ. In this work, Badings does not directly distance himself from classical tonality; rather, microtonality functions as a kind of ornamentation, a colouring of this classical tonality. In addition to his works for the Fokker organ, Badings also composed 31-tone music for, among others, string quartet (no. 4, 1966) and for the violin duo Bouw Lemkes and Jeanne Vos, who remained an active and well-known duo into the 1980s, devotedly promoting 31-tone music. A cross-section of the finest microtonal works by Henk Badings will be performed in this concert, featuring Ere Lievonen (Fokker organ), Judith van Driel (violin) and Marleen Wester (violin).
In memoriam Henk Badings
Programme
Henk Badings (Bandung, NL-Indië, 17 Jnuary 1907 – Hugten bij Maarheeze, 26 June 1987):
Reeks van kleine klankstukken in selectieve toongeslachten voor 31-toonsorgel (1954)
I. Preludio
II. Arietta
III. Scherzo
IV. Sarabande
V. Siciliano
Sonata No. 2 for 2 violins (1963) in the 31-tone temperament
I. Lento
II. Molto Adagio
Reeks van kleine klankstukken in selectieve toongeslachten voor 31-toonsorgel (1954)
VI. Perpetuum mobile
VII. Recitativo
VIII. Pastorale
IX. Passepied
X. Elegie
Sonate III voor 2 violen (1967) in 31-tone temperament
I. Lento
II. Molto Allegro
Trio N° XI voor twee violen en archifoon (1981) in 31-tone temperament
I. Réflexions (Prestissimo)
II. Évocations (Lento)
III. Danse Finale (Allegro Molto)
Henk Badings and his 31-tone music
Within Henk Badings’ extensive oeuvre of hundreds of compositions, 31-tone music occupies an important position. Without doubt, it can be said that he made the greatest and most important twentieth-century contribution to Dutch 31-tone music. Around 1950, Badings became interested in new tone systems, six- and seven-tone modes, and their acoustic foundations. In 1951, he wrote an interesting treatise for the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences entitled Tonaliteitsproblemen in de nieuwe muziek (Problems of Tonality in New Music). After 1951, he composed a number of works for the 31-tone organ in Haarlem, and in 1952 he created his first electronic compositions. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Leonhard Euler’s birth, he was invited by Swiss Radio in 1957 to contribute a series of 31-tone organ works. His compositions are characterised by classical structure, both melodically and in rhythm and harmony. Read more
Support
This programme was made possible with the support of: SNS REAAL Fonds – renamed Fonds 21 (renovation Fokker organ), Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (renovation Fokker organ), Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ and Huygens-Fokker Foundation.
Fokker organ concert
Sunday 20 May 2012, 11:00 a.m.
Admission fee €15.00 (€12.00 reduced price)
Small Hall, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ
Piet Heinkade 1, 1019 BR Amsterdam
Performers
Judith van Driel, violin
Marleen Wester, violin
Ere Lievonen, Fokker organ

