Canto Ostinato by the Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt is the most beloved Dutch work in minimal music. Although the piece is usually played on two or four pianos, there are also performances on other instruments. Canto Ostinato consists of several short musical cells that are repeated; The players themselves determine how often this happens. The music is reminiscent of a vast landscape in which you can wander for hours.

Ten Holt himself said about Canto Ostinato: ‘The basic pulse in the music is constant from beginning to end. There are significant differences between the cells. Sometimes the transitions from one cell to the next are quite abrupt; then new material appears all at once, rather than being introduced gradually in barely distinguishable steps, as in some early minimalist experiments. A third of the way through the piece, a melody unexpectedly breaks away from the fabric and turns into a theme with accompaniment for a few minutes. It is especially effective because at that moment you have already been listening to undulating, hypnotic repetition for an hour – so it comes as a big emotional shock.’