Frankly, in the field of renaissance musicology I am a self made man.
But I had and have some wonderful advisers.
First of all my teacher Musical History at the Arnhem conservatory early 1980ies, Jan Nuchelmans, who at that time was about to found the famous Early Music Festival in Utrecht. His lessons were far from conventional.
They were given at his home. Vast amounts of books and records were among us. He usually started with one small topic but by the end of the three hour session we had traveled an incredible historical journey with breathtaking side-paths and revealing anecdotes. I owe very much to him.
I can't really recall when and where we met for the first time, probably in the library of the Utrecht University, but Jaap van Benthem, the eminent Josquin specialist, was and is a very important and generous guide and adviser for me, not only for early renaissance repertoire but many times also as a sparring partner on items as text underlay, modes, ficta etc.
With one of his pupils, Veronique Roelvink, I had the pleasure to work on Gheerkin de Hondt, a 16th century composer attached to the Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap in 's-Hertogenbosch. The Egidius Kwartet recorded the complete chansons and motets of De Hondt and parts of a mass. The quartet even contributed to her book on this illustrious brotherhood: 'Gegeven den sangeren' (Heinen, Den Bosch 2002).
The unconditional dedication of Prof. Laura Youens of the George Washington University (Washington DC) and one of the editors of the exemplary CMM edition of the works of Thomas Crecquillon has been an enormous inspiration for me. We instantly became friends. And she never stops to give me feedback, support and help.
Of course, working on the Leiden Choirbooks, the first one I asked for help was Eric Jas, lector at the Utrecht University. His thesis was about THE books, and right from the started he generously offered an incredible amount of information on the subject and the he took his role as a strict and critical guide very serious. He saved me for many errors, but was nevertheless prepared to write a popular-scientific book on the Leiden Choirbooks and he agreed to have me as co-writer.
In 2015 I re-established the contact with one of my musicological heroes: Rob. C. Wegman (Princeton University). He tried to persuade me to undertake a new project with EGIDIUS: the recording of 4 cd's with music by Clemens non Papa. He even tried to encourage me to take up an almost impossible task: re-writing and re-researching the biography of Clemens non Papa. We even undertook a joined visit of a few days to the episcopal archives of Brughes. That was a revalation! Rob urged me to just try to read the 16th century registers of the clerkes of Saint Donatian's. And, miracle!, I found indeed an entry everybody else before me overlooked.It gave me wings.
But alas, Dutch cultural- and subsidy climate changed dramaticly. There was no money, and I was deeply discouraged and depressed for many years. Poor Clemens, fate kept and keeps him in undeserved obscurity.
Happily was greatly comforted in 2021 by the founding of a friends club called DELIRIUM CLEMENS. Check it out here.
Last not but least: I consider myself as a pupil of the great Belgian renaissance-maestro Paul Van Nevel. Singing with him in the Huelgas Ensemble made me decide to spent the rest of my musical life to Renaissance Music. Since 1994 and still we had countless conversations on a multitude of topics, but I learned most of this incredible phenomenon by observing him closely and by analyzing his way of "living" this magnificent repertoire.
But I had and have some wonderful advisers.
First of all my teacher Musical History at the Arnhem conservatory early 1980ies, Jan Nuchelmans, who at that time was about to found the famous Early Music Festival in Utrecht. His lessons were far from conventional.
They were given at his home. Vast amounts of books and records were among us. He usually started with one small topic but by the end of the three hour session we had traveled an incredible historical journey with breathtaking side-paths and revealing anecdotes. I owe very much to him.
I can't really recall when and where we met for the first time, probably in the library of the Utrecht University, but Jaap van Benthem, the eminent Josquin specialist, was and is a very important and generous guide and adviser for me, not only for early renaissance repertoire but many times also as a sparring partner on items as text underlay, modes, ficta etc.
With one of his pupils, Veronique Roelvink, I had the pleasure to work on Gheerkin de Hondt, a 16th century composer attached to the Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap in 's-Hertogenbosch. The Egidius Kwartet recorded the complete chansons and motets of De Hondt and parts of a mass. The quartet even contributed to her book on this illustrious brotherhood: 'Gegeven den sangeren' (Heinen, Den Bosch 2002).
The unconditional dedication of Prof. Laura Youens of the George Washington University (Washington DC) and one of the editors of the exemplary CMM edition of the works of Thomas Crecquillon has been an enormous inspiration for me. We instantly became friends. And she never stops to give me feedback, support and help.
Of course, working on the Leiden Choirbooks, the first one I asked for help was Eric Jas, lector at the Utrecht University. His thesis was about THE books, and right from the started he generously offered an incredible amount of information on the subject and the he took his role as a strict and critical guide very serious. He saved me for many errors, but was nevertheless prepared to write a popular-scientific book on the Leiden Choirbooks and he agreed to have me as co-writer.
In 2015 I re-established the contact with one of my musicological heroes: Rob. C. Wegman (Princeton University). He tried to persuade me to undertake a new project with EGIDIUS: the recording of 4 cd's with music by Clemens non Papa. He even tried to encourage me to take up an almost impossible task: re-writing and re-researching the biography of Clemens non Papa. We even undertook a joined visit of a few days to the episcopal archives of Brughes. That was a revalation! Rob urged me to just try to read the 16th century registers of the clerkes of Saint Donatian's. And, miracle!, I found indeed an entry everybody else before me overlooked.It gave me wings.
But alas, Dutch cultural- and subsidy climate changed dramaticly. There was no money, and I was deeply discouraged and depressed for many years. Poor Clemens, fate kept and keeps him in undeserved obscurity.
Happily was greatly comforted in 2021 by the founding of a friends club called DELIRIUM CLEMENS. Check it out here.
Last not but least: I consider myself as a pupil of the great Belgian renaissance-maestro Paul Van Nevel. Singing with him in the Huelgas Ensemble made me decide to spent the rest of my musical life to Renaissance Music. Since 1994 and still we had countless conversations on a multitude of topics, but I learned most of this incredible phenomenon by observing him closely and by analyzing his way of "living" this magnificent repertoire.
With Rob Wegman in the episcopal archives of Brughes, summer 2015
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IN MEMORIAM LAURA YOUENS
7 NOV 1947 - 22 JULY 2019 A wonderful human being passed away: Laura Youens We met in Utrecht, april 2003. Jaap van Benthem introduced me to her at the ‘Beyond contemporary fame’ colloquium, where she spoke ‘on editing the chansons of Thomas Crecquillon’. We became friends instantly. It was just a revelation to me, that there were musicologists on this planet with warmth, passion, interest and generosity. The Egidius Quartet made a Crecquillon CD the next year, nothing less than a tribute to the magnificent work she, Barton Hudson and Mary Beth Winn were about to fulfill. They have set an exemplary and new standard with the CMM63 series. But above all she was a adorable and hyper lovely human being. I cherish the memory of every moment I spend with her. I learned so many things of her. Not only about music, literature and musicology, but also about the essential things in life: love and compassion. And it was impossible not to be tenderly amused by her sometimes disarming clumsiness and slightly chaotic womanhood. It made her even more adorable. It was very easy to love Laura Youens. There was an ocean between us that made regular physical contact impossible, but we had weekly contact via FB. She was a true and loyal friend. I shall miss her tremendously. My thoughts are with Richard, her husband, and her family. Musicology has to go on without one of its finest and most remarkable specialists. Our last musicological exchange, march this year, was on the six part canon of Baston “Je prends en gré la dure mort” and today nothing could be more appropiate to sigh-quote than the last lines of that poem: “O dure mort que faictes vous? Mourir me fault cest chose clere.” |