Willem Pijper
Encyclopedia
Willem Pijper (ˌʋɪləm ˈpɛipər); Zeist
, 8 September 1894 - Utrecht
, 18 March 1947) was a Dutch
composer
, music critic and music teacher.
Poor health as a child meant that he was educated at home until age 13, but in 1912, after three years study at the gymnasium (high school), Pijper entered the Utrecht Academy of Music, where he was taught composition by Johan Wagenaar
, passing examinations in theoretical subjects in 1915. Apart from his brief study with Wagenaar he was entirely self-taught as a composer.
Pijper occasionally gave piano recitals, but his activity as a critic was of greater importance. At the end of the First World War, he became a critic for the Utrechtsch Dagblad, and in that capacity was at least partly responsible for the departure of Jan van Gilse
, then chief conductor of the Utrechts Stedelijk Orkest. Pijpers constant vitriolic (and often ad hominem) attacks upon Van Gilse forced the latter to demand the orchestra board to refuse Pijper at concerts; after the board had stalled the issue for some time, Van Gilse resigned in 1921. Pijper has since been criticised for his role in the affair, also because his combined functions of critic and advisor for the Tivoli concert hall at least suggested a conflict of interest (http://www.xs4all.nl/~fvdwaa/art/vk1447.htmArticle about the Van Gilse/Pijper conflict in De Volkskrant
(in Dutch)]).
In 1926, with Paul F. Sanders, he established the periodical De Muziek, to which he contributed many essays. Collections of his essays were published by Querido under the title De Quintencirckel and De Stemvork.
Pijper spent much of his time during the war years working on a new opera, Merlijn, based on the Arthurian legend
. Although he worked on the project for over six years, the work was never completed. In late 1946, he was diagnosed with cancer. During the closing weeks of his life he rewrote the orchestration to his Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra. Pijper died on 18 March 1947.
's early 'cell technique').
From 1919, Pijper's music can be described as polytonal
. Yet there is no question of Pijper's consciously abandoning tonality; rather his polyphonic way of thinking and his sense of counterpoint made his harmonic style evolve in that direction. In that sense, he stands quite close to the music of his contemporary Matthijs Vermeulen
, but his music does not quite reach the extatic level of Vermeulen's. Nonetheless, Pijper remained a composer of strong emotional character, to which his Third Symphony (1926) bears witness. In Pijper's later works the harmonic expression seems at times to approach monotonality.
As a teacher, Pijper had a great influence on modern Dutch music, teaching many prominent Dutch composers of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He was senior teacher of instrumentation at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, and from 1930 until his death in 1947 he acted as principal of the Rotterdam Conservatoire.
Adapted with permission from John Craton's Willem Pijper web page
Dierick, Augustinus P. WILLEM PIJPER: AN APERCU. Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies, Volume XXIII,I [2002[: 11-31.
Zeist
Zeist is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, located east of the city of Utrecht.-Population centres :*Austerlitz*Bosch en Duin*Den Dolder*Huis ter Heide*Zeist- The town of Zeist :...
, 8 September 1894 - Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, 18 March 1947) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, music critic and music teacher.
Life
Pijper was born at Zeist, near Utrecht, on 8 September 1894 of strict Calvinist working-class parents. His father, who sometimes played psalm accompaniments on the harmonium, taught him the names of the notes of the treble clef when he was five. Willem subsequently discovered the use of sharps and flats and began composing simple melodies. His fascination with symmetrical musical structures was evident even at this early age. At ten he began formal piano lessons and made rapid progress.Poor health as a child meant that he was educated at home until age 13, but in 1912, after three years study at the gymnasium (high school), Pijper entered the Utrecht Academy of Music, where he was taught composition by Johan Wagenaar
Johan Wagenaar
Johan Wagenaar was a Dutch composer and organist.-Life:Born in Utrecht, out of wedlock, he was the son of Cypriaan Gerard Berger van Hengst and Johanna Wagenaar. Wagenaar's parents were of different social strata: his father was an aristocrat, while his mother was of more humble origins...
, passing examinations in theoretical subjects in 1915. Apart from his brief study with Wagenaar he was entirely self-taught as a composer.
Pijper occasionally gave piano recitals, but his activity as a critic was of greater importance. At the end of the First World War, he became a critic for the Utrechtsch Dagblad, and in that capacity was at least partly responsible for the departure of Jan van Gilse
Jan van Gilse
Jan Pieter Hendrik van Gilse was a Dutch composer and conductor. Among his works are five symphonies and the Dutch-language opera Thijl.-Life:...
, then chief conductor of the Utrechts Stedelijk Orkest. Pijpers constant vitriolic (and often ad hominem) attacks upon Van Gilse forced the latter to demand the orchestra board to refuse Pijper at concerts; after the board had stalled the issue for some time, Van Gilse resigned in 1921. Pijper has since been criticised for his role in the affair, also because his combined functions of critic and advisor for the Tivoli concert hall at least suggested a conflict of interest (http://www.xs4all.nl/~fvdwaa/art/vk1447.htmArticle about the Van Gilse/Pijper conflict in De Volkskrant
De Volkskrant
de Volkskrant is a national daily Dutch morning newspaper, the leading centre-left broadsheet, although now in tabloid size.-History:...
(in Dutch)]).
In 1926, with Paul F. Sanders, he established the periodical De Muziek, to which he contributed many essays. Collections of his essays were published by Querido under the title De Quintencirckel and De Stemvork.
Pijper spent much of his time during the war years working on a new opera, Merlijn, based on the Arthurian legend
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. Although he worked on the project for over six years, the work was never completed. In late 1946, he was diagnosed with cancer. During the closing weeks of his life he rewrote the orchestration to his Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra. Pijper died on 18 March 1947.
Music
Pijper quickly chose his own path as a composer. The difference in style between his First Symphony ( Pan ) (in which Mahler's influence is evident) and the Second is significant, and between 1918 and 1922 he grew into one of the more advanced composers in Europe. In each successive work he went a step further, starting from his conception that every work of art arises out of a number of "germ cells" (somewhat akin to Igor StravinskyIgor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's early 'cell technique').
From 1919, Pijper's music can be described as polytonal
Polytonality
The musical use of more than one key simultaneously is polytonality . Bitonality is the use of only two different keys at the same time...
. Yet there is no question of Pijper's consciously abandoning tonality; rather his polyphonic way of thinking and his sense of counterpoint made his harmonic style evolve in that direction. In that sense, he stands quite close to the music of his contemporary Matthijs Vermeulen
Matthijs Vermeulen
Matthijs Vermeulen , was a Dutch composer and music journalist.- Early life :...
, but his music does not quite reach the extatic level of Vermeulen's. Nonetheless, Pijper remained a composer of strong emotional character, to which his Third Symphony (1926) bears witness. In Pijper's later works the harmonic expression seems at times to approach monotonality.
As a teacher, Pijper had a great influence on modern Dutch music, teaching many prominent Dutch composers of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He was senior teacher of instrumentation at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, and from 1930 until his death in 1947 he acted as principal of the Rotterdam Conservatoire.
List of works
- OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l music- Symphony No. 1 Pan (1917)
- Symphony No. 2 (1921)
- Symphony No. 3 (1926)
- Six Adagios (1940)
- Six Symphonic Epigrams (1928)
- Concerto for Piano & Orchestra (1927)
- Orchestral Piece with Piano (1915)
- Concerto for Violin & Orchestra (1938-39)
- Concerto for Violoncello Solo & Orchestra (1936/47)
- Chamber musicChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
- Septet for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet, bassoon, horn, double bass & piano (1920)
- Sextet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn & piano (1923)
- Phantasie for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn & piano (1927) on Mozart's Phantasie für eine Spieluhr, 1791
- Quintet for woodwinds: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon & horn (1929)
- String Quartet No. 1 (1914)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1920)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1923)
- String Quartet No. 4 (1928)
- String Quartet No. 5 (1946)
- Quattro Pezzi Antichi for 3 violins & violoncello (1923)
- Trio for flute, clarinet & bassoon (1926-27)
- Trio No. 1 for violin, violoncello & piano (1914)
- Trio No. 2 for violin, violoncello & piano (1921)
- Sonata for flute & piano (1925)
- Sonata No. 1 for violin & piano (1919)
- Sonata No. 2 for violin & piano (1922)
- Sonata No. 1 for violoncello & piano (1919)
- Sonata No. 2 for violoncello & piano (1924)
- Sonata for violin solo (1931)
- Passapied for carillon (1916)
- PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
music- De Boufon, Het Patertje Langs den Kant, Scharmoes for piano solo (1926) in the series "Folk Dances of the World"
- Sonata for piano (1930)
- Sonata for two pianos (1935)
- Sonatina No. 1 for piano (1917)
- Sonatina No. 2 for piano (1925)
- Sonatina No. 3 for piano (1925)
- Theme and Five Variations for piano solo (1913)
- Three Aphorisms for piano solo (1915)
- Choral
- La fille morte dans ses amours (1921) from "Deux Ballades de Paul Fort"
- Le marchand de sable geork nos. 1 & 2 (1934) from "Deux Ballades de Paul Fort"
- Chanson "Réveilles-vous piccars" (1932-33)
- De Lente Komt (1917) (René de Clercq)
- Op den Weefstoel (1918) (René de Clercq)
- Heer Danielken (1925)
- Heer HalewijnHeer HalewijnHeer Halewijn is a Dutch-Flemish folk tale which survives in folk ballad. Although the first printed version of the song only appears in an anthology published in 1848, the ballad itself dates back to the 13th century and is one of the oldest Dutch folk songs with ancient subject matter to be...
(1920) - Vanden Coning van Castilien (1936)
- Vocal (with instrumental accompaniment)
- Fête Galantes (1916) (Paul Verlaine)
- Hymne (1941-43) (Pieter Cornelis BoutensPieter Cornelis BoutensPieter Cornelis Boutens was a Dutch poet, classicist, and mystic.Boutens was born in Middelburg. He grew up in Zeeland in a strict, Protestant middle-class environment...
) - Songs from "The Tempest" (1930) (William Shakespeare)
- Die Nächliche Heerschau (1922/43) (Carl Löwe)
- Romance sans paroles, C'est le chien de Jean de Nivelle (1921) (Paul Verlaine)
- Voice and piano
- Allerseelen (1914) (H. von Gilm)
- Douwdeuntje (1916) (René de Clercq)
- Fêtes Galantes (1916) (Paul Verlaine)
- Two Songs on Ancient Dutch Texts (1923)
- Four Songs (1916) (Bertha de Bruyn)
- La Maumariée (1919-20)
- Huit Noëls de France (1919)
- Acht oud-Hollandsche liederen, first series (1924)
- Acht oud-Hollandsche liederen, second series (1935)
- Oud-Hollandsche minneliederen (1920/1942)
- Vieilles chansons de France (1918/1946)
- Twee Wachterliederen (1934)
- Zestiende-eeuwsch Marialied (1929)
- Incidental musicIncidental musicIncidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
- Antigone (1920/1926) (SophoclesSophoclesSophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
/Balthazar Verhagen) - De Bacchanten (1924) (EuripidesEuripidesEuripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
/Verhagen) - De Cycloop (1925) (Euripides/Verhagen)
- Faëton of Reuckelose Stoutheit (1937) (Joost van den VondelJoost van den VondelJoost van den Vondel was a Dutch writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still most frequently performed, and his epic Joannes de Boetgezant , on the life of John the Baptist, has...
) - The Tempest (1929-30) (William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
)
- Antigone (1920/1926) (Sophocles
- OperaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
- HalewijnHeer HalewijnHeer Halewijn is a Dutch-Flemish folk tale which survives in folk ballad. Although the first printed version of the song only appears in an anthology published in 1848, the ballad itself dates back to the 13th century and is one of the oldest Dutch folk songs with ancient subject matter to be...
(1932-34), Symphonic drama in 9 scenes - Merlijn (1939-42) (Unfinished), Symphonic drama in 3 acts (Simon Vestdijk, libretto)
- Halewijn
Adapted with permission from John Craton's Willem Pijper web page
Further reading
Kooij, Hans Eduard. COMPOSITION BY USE OF GERM CELLS- A Botanical-Musical Analogy in the Willem Pijper Sonata for Piano. Tijdschrift van de Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis. Volume LIV-2, 2004: 119-131Dierick, Augustinus P. WILLEM PIJPER: AN APERCU. Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies, Volume XXIII,I [2002[: 11-31.