Shortly after the reopening of concert halls Saxophone players Daan van Koppen and Erik-Jan de With teamed up as duo for two performances of their programme 'Big Talks'. They took the stage in Delft at the Rietveld Theatre on 26 June 2021.
They presented a beautiful balanced programme of modern pieces.
Daan van Koppen (r) and Erik-Jan de With
Starting with part one of the triptych Time Out. The other two parts of the composition were sandwiched between other pieces. Time Out is a specially reworked composition for two baritone saxophones and electronics by Tini Thomsen, a German composer and baritone saxophone player. She is mainly famous in the jazz scene. And this piece breathes rhythmic, jazzy sounds. With instant sampling so expanding the number of saxes.
After this intro the duo (world) premiered Distance by Scottish composer John de Simone, who also teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is famous for his quasi melodic pieces. He wrote Distance especially for Daan and Erik-Jan. A piece Erik-Jan estimates as terrific. A signal like, plaintive composition of long notes. With, as in more of De Simone's pieces, a tranquil middle stanza.
Erik-Jan de With
Big Talk - Shelley Washington - A musical manifesto against sexual abuse of women. So hear fright, anger, hurt, despair and all kinds fierce emotions in this piece. A heavy and thought inspiring composition.
Daan van Koppen
After 250 beers, so they said, Daan and Erik-Jan persuaded Peter Habraken to write a piece for them. He eventually came up with 'MéMoria'. To commemorate the fire in the Greek refugee camp on the isle of Lesbos. A more melodic piece with distinct folk traces.
Duo Sonata by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina was originally written for two bassoons. But works extremly well played by two baritone saxes.
Performed earlier by those two at the bachelor exam of Daan van Koppen back in 2013. And before that Erik-Jan performed the piece together with German Saxophone player Gregor Böhmerle earlier in 2006 at a festival in Groningen: Link to audio on a Dutch language page. Really a top class piece oh so well written, which got an outstanding performance by the two blokes.
Black - Marc Mellits. What a better way to finish a baritone saxophone gig then with 'Black' by American composer Marc Mellits? As we are accostumed a super rhyhtmic and energetic piece. Only he is able to write.
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