
Simeon ten Holt: Canto Ostinato (Bergwerff/Hekkema)
This concert is dedicated to Bart Kerkhofs (1937-2022), who also generously expressed his sympathy for the work of the Orgelkring Midden-Brabant in a testamentary manner.
Canto Ostinato is a composition with a variable length by the Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012). Canto refers to the melody or a short musical motif. Ostinato refers to repetition. Canto Ostinato is considered minimalist music. The work was created while playing on the keyboard. In doing so, the composer created more than a hundred short sections of a few bars in B-flat minor. Ultimately it was the composer Andries Hubers who combined the sections into a score. Because Ten Holt often edited the score afterwards, several versions of the piece were created.
Canto Ostinato is written in odd 10/16 time. This measure in five beats differs greatly from common Western music. Some sections may be repeated. It is up to the performing musicians to make agreements about this. Other sections form a melodic bridge that is played only once. More generally, Ten Holt has given a lot of freedom to the performers. The score should be approached more as an outline than as a prescription.
Ten Holt originally wrote Canto Ostinato for keyboard instruments (one or more pianos). However, since its premiere on April 25, 1979, many arrangements have been made (for combinations with) other musical instruments (marimba, church organ, synthesizer, saxophone, carillon, orchestra). For the concert of the Orgelkring Midden-Brabant on October 22 in the chapel of the Cenakel, the combination of (choir) organ and saxophone was chosen.
- Composer(s) Simeon ten Holt
-
Title(s) of the Work(s)
Canto Ostinato
- Performer, Ensemble or Orchestra Aart Bergwerff organ, Raag Hekkema saxophone