About the program
Mozart's Rondo in a minor is perhaps his most beautiful composition for piano solo. The atmosphere is discreetly melancholic, but also graceful and sometimes even cheerful for a short moment. Passages with allure are also not lacking. A truly layered composition, so typical of the late Mozart.
Beethoven's sonata opus 101 is the gateway to the late Beethoven. In addition to numerous serene moments, we are also confronted with unvarnished passion, especially in the disturbing, sometimes even oppressive second movement. The extremely concise third movement - a rare expressive adagio - is a subtle preparation for the last movement. But the middle section is a formidable fugue, which actually forms one immense prelude to the glorious return of the main theme. The Coda, on the other hand, is more contemplative and seems to put everything that has happened into perspective.
Schumann's Gesänge der Frühe provides a fascinating picture of the late Schumann: a wondrous mixture of loneliness and quiet, ethereal moments. It is Schumann's last completed composition for piano solo, a work that was once grossly underestimated but has been on Willem Brons's programme since 1978.
Valse Triste by Kees Olthuis is a melodious composition in which dark moments are not lacking. The composition is very atmospheric, has an open ending in which Willem Brons feels associations with a receding horizon. Willem Brons considers this subtle work as an enrichment of his repertoire.
Finally, Schumann's Fantasy is a three-part composition in grand style. The first part combines genuine passion with rare tender moments. The second part expresses a fearless urge for freedom and therefore has a positive aura. The third part is a love song such as even Schumann has rarely expressed so poignantly. In short, a masterpiece.
About Willem Brons
Willem Brons (1937), the doyen of Dutch classical music, still performs frequently. He is an important interpreter of the music of Bach, Beethoven and Schubert, although his repertoire has never been limited to that. He is also an ambassador for the historical instrument. In addition to numerous recitals, he has performed with many famous orchestras and collaborated with great conductors at home and abroad. Brons was a teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam for no less than 50 years, where he taught piano, chamber music and song accompaniment. He trained several generations of pianists and taught them the art of musical expression.
In 1994, Willem and his wife Noortje Brons founded the Eusebiuskring Foundation. The foundation's aim was to support Willem Brons' annual International Masterclass. Since 2023, the foundation has also supported the series Willem Brons Presenteert in De Waalse Kerk, which offers former students a platform to showcase their talent to a wide audience. The third season is scheduled for 2025, with Martin Oei (16 February), Satomi Chihara & Miri Kim (02 March), Nadezda Filippova (27 April) and Wakana Shimizu (25 May).
Willem Brons can be heard regularly on the Concertzender. On every second and fourth Sunday morning of the month between 10:00 and 11:00 Willem Brons discusses an important composition from the keyboard literature together with Pauline Verburg. A fifth Sunday at the same time Willem Brons presents his personal choices.
Passe-partout
For regular visitors of the Willem Brons Christmas concert and the Willem Brons Presenteert series, we offer a passe-partout for all 5 concerts. Instead of €125, you pay €95. With this, you also support the Eusebiuskring Foundation, founded by Willem and Noortje Brons in 1994 to support the annual International Masterclass and the Willem Brons Presenteert concert series.
