Cornelis de Bondt is not afraid of large gestures. His composition ‘Bloed’ (1997-2001) is about the traumatic consequences of war passed down from father to son. In other works, such as the piano concerto ‘Die wahre Art’ (2000) and the cycle ‘Het gebroken oor’ [The Broken Ear, 1984] he turns his imagination loose on Western music history. De Bondt quotes historical works, placing them in a new context, thus placing music history itself under the microscope. The title ‘Die wahre Ar’t is an allusion to a book by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in which he teaches techniques for conveying emotions on the harpsichord. It is a paradox that appeals directly to the composer. In De Bondt’s music, technique and emotion enter into an always uneasy, freakish union. But then, listening is not meant to be easy.