To the centenary of the classic of Dutch minimalism

January 24 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt. On this occasion, his main work, the legendary “Canto Ostinato”, will be performed at DK Rassvet in Moscow.

“Canto Ostinato”, the cornerstone of European minimalism, was written in 1976 and turned out to be ten Holt’s most performed composition. The key to its popularity is largely in the freedom that the composer grants to the performers: the piece consists of 106 short musical blocks that are repeated and alternated at the request of the musicians. The score serves more as a hint or rough instruction, which is why each performance of “Canto ostinato” is unique and can last from an hour to a day. Strict, infinitely variable, fluid and suspiciously beautiful (for music written in the 1970s), “Canto ostinato” is the perfect musical embodiment of a meditative flow that can be peered into endlessly.

The work can be performed by different ensembles, on January 24 it will be performed by Mikhail Dubov and Maria Sadurdinova in the classical version for two pianos.