Louis Andriessen

Louis Andriessen (born Utrecht: June 6, 1939) is considered to be the foremost Dutch composer working today. He was born into a musical family, being the son of the composer Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981) and brother of composer Jurriaan Andriessen (1925-1996).

Works list

• Nuit d'été (1957) for piano 4 hands
• Séries (1958) for 2 pianos
• Nocturnen (1959) (text by the composer) for 2 sopranos, orchestra
• Trois Pièces (1961) for piano left hand
• Ittrospezione I (1961) for piano 4 hands
• Joli commentaire (1961) for piano 4 hands
• Étude pour les timbres (1962) for piano
• Ittrospezione II (1963) for large orchestra
• Registers (1963) for piano
• Ittrospezione III (Concept II) ? Fragment (1965) tenor saxophone ad libitum, 2 pianos (section of Ittrospezione III ; may be performed separately)
• Souvenirs d'enfance (1966) for piano
• Anachronie I (1966-67) for large orchestra
• The Garden of Ryoan-gi (1967) for 3 electronic organs
• Choralvorspiele (1969) for barrel organ
• Anachronie II (1969) for oboe, small orchestra (4 French horns, harp, piano, strings), 1969; Hoe het is, 52 strings, live electronics
• Reconstructie (1969) (w/ Reinbert de Leeuw, Misha Mengelberg, Peter Schat, Jan van Vlijmen, libretto by Hugo Claus, Harry Mulisch.) Morality opera for soloists, 3 mixed choruses (4 voices each), orchestra (11 winds, 7 brass, 2 guitars, 11 keyboards, 10 strings), live electronics
• De negen symfonieën van Beethoven (1970) for ice cream bell, orchestra
• Spektakel (1970) for improvisational ensemble (saxophone , viola, bass guitar, electronic organ , percussion ), small orchestra (12 winds, 4 French horns, 6 percussion)
• In Memoriam (1971) for tape
• Canzone 3.Utinam (1972) (text from the Book of Job) for soprano, piano, 1962; Thanh Hoa (text by Nguyen Thay Mao), voice, piano
• Il Duce (1973) for tape
• Il Principe (1974) (text by Niccolò Machiavelli) for 2 mixed choruses, 8 winds, 3 French horns, tuba, bass guitar, piano
• Wals (1974) 1974 for piano
• Symfonieën der Nederlanden (1974) for 2 or more symphonic bands (minimum 32 players)
• De Staat (1972-74) (text by Plato) for 2 sopranos, 2 mezzo-sopranos, 4 oboes (3rd, 4th + English horn), 4 French horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass trombone, 2 harps, 2 electric guitars, 4 violas, bass guitar, 2 pianos
• De Staat (1972-76) for 2 pianos (version of vocal work)
• Nederland, let op uw schoonheyt (1975) for symphonic band
• Workers Union (1975) for any loud sounding group of instruments
• Mattheus passie (1976) (text by Louis Ferron) Music theatre work for 8 mixed voices, 2 oboes (both + English horn), Hammond organ, string quartet, double bass
• Hoketus (1975-76) for 2 panpipes, 2 alto saxophones ad libitum, 2 bass guitars, 2 pianos, 2 electric pianos, 2 congas
• Orpheus (1977) (text by Lodewijk de Boer) Music theatre work for 8 mixed voices, lyricon, electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, percussion
• Symphonie voor losse snaren (1978) for 12 strings
• Laat toch vrij de straat (1978) (text by Jaap van der Merwe) for voice, piano
• Hymne to the Memory of Darius Milhaud (1978) (version of chamber work)
• Felicitatie (1979) for 3 trumpets
• Mausoleum (1979 rev. 1981) (texts by Mikhail Bakunin, ) for 2 high baritones, orchestra (12 brass, 2 harps, cimbalom, 2 pianos, 2 percussion, minimum 10 strings, bass guitar)
• George Sand (1980) (text by Mia Meyer) Music theatre work for 8 mixed voices, 4 pianos
• Un beau baiser (1980) for mixed chorus
• De Tijd (1979-81) (text by St. Augustine) for female chorus, percussion ensemble, orchestra (6 flutes, 2 alto flutes, 3 clarinets, contrabass clarinet, 6 trumpets, 2 harps, 2 pianos, Hammond organ, strings, 2 bass guitars)
• Commentaar (1981) (text by Wilhelm Schön) for voice, piano
• Ende (1981) for 2 alto recorders (1 player)
• La voce (1981) (to a text by Cesare Pavese) for cello, voice
• Disco (1982) violin, piano
• Overture to Orpheus (1982) for harpischord
• De Snelheid (1982-83 rev. 1984) for 3 amplified ensembles
• Y después (1983) (text by Federico García Lorca) for voice, piano
• Menuet voor Marianne (1983) for piano
• Trepidus (1983) for piano
• Doctor Nero (1984) Music theatre work
• Berceuse voor Annie van Os (1985) for piano
• De Lijn (1986) for 3 flutes
• Dubbelspoor (1986 rev. 1994) Ballet music for piano, harpsichord, celesta, glockenspiel
• De Materie (1984-88)(texts from the Plakkaat van Verlatinge, Nicolaes Witsen, David Gorlaeus, Hadewijch, M.H.J. Schoenmaekers, Madame van Domselaer-Middelkoop, Willem Kloos, Marie Curie, Françoise Giroud) Music theatre work for soprano, tenor, 2 female speakers, 8 amplified mixed voices, amplified orchestra (15 winds, 13 brass, harp, 2 electric guitars, 2 pianos , off-stage upright piano, celesta, 2 synthesizers, 6 percussion, minimum 9 strings, bass guitar. Two of its four sections may be performed separately as concert works: Hadewijch, De Stijl
• De Toren (1988, rev. 2000) for carillon
• Nietzsche redet (1989) (text by Friedrich Nietzsche) for speaker, alto flute, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, 2 celli, double bass, 2 pianos
• Facing Death (1990) for amplified string quartet
• Dances (1991) (text by Joan Grant, choreography by Bianca van Dillen) For soprano, small orchestra (amplified harp, amplified piano, percussion, strings). May be performed as a concert work.
• M is for Man, Music, Mozart (1991) (texts by the composer, Jeroen van der Linden, Peter Greenaway) for female jazz voice, flute (+ piccolo), soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, French horn, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, double bass, piano (TV score; may be performed as a concert work with one additional song)
• Lacrimosa (1991) for 2 bassoons
• Hout (1991) for tenor saxophone, electric guitar, piano, marimba (+ woodblocks)
• Romance voor Caecilia (1991) for piano
• Nadir en Zenit (1992) improvisations on poems by Sybren Polet for voice, piano (+ synthesizer)
• ...not being sundered (1992) (text by Rainer Maria Rilke) for soprano, flute, cello
• Song Lines (1992) for 3-6 saxophones
• Deuxième chorale (1992) for music box
• The Memory of Roses (1992) for piano (+ toy piano)
• Chorale (1992) for piano
• M is Muziek, Monoloog en Moord(1993) (text by Lodewijk de Boer) Music theatre work
• Lied (1993) for piano
• Rosa: The Death of a Composer (1993-94) (libretto by Peter Greenaway) Opera for 2 sopranos, tenor, 2 baritones, female speaker, 8 mixed voices, orchestra.
• Een lied van de zee (1994) (text by Hélène Swarth) for female voice
• Zilver (1994) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone, marimba
• Base (1994) for piano left hand
• Odysseus' Women (1995) (text by Homer, choreography by Beppie Blankert) for 2 sopranos, 2 altos, sampler
• De komst van Willibrord (1995) for carillon
• To Pauline O (1995) for oboe
• Machmes Wos (1996) for voice, piano
• Trilogie van de Laatste Dag (1996-97) (each of its three sections may be performed separately: (i) The Last Day (texts by Lucebert, folksong A Woman and Her Lass) for boy soprano, 4 male voices, orchestra; (ii) TAO (texts by Lao-tzu, Kotaro Takamura) for 4 female voices, piano , small orchestra ; (iii) Dancing on the Bones (text by the composer) for children's chorus, orchestra, 1997)
• De herauten (1997) for 3 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani
• Not an Anfang (1997) for piano
• De eerste minnaar (1998) (text by Ton Tellegen) for boy soprano, organ, 1998 (section of music theatre work Oldenbarneveldt; may be performed as a concert work)
• Tuin van Zink (1998) for viola, live electronics
• Writing to Vermeer (1997-99) (libretto by Peter Greenaway) Opera for 2 children's voices, 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, female chorus, orchestra (7 winds, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets , 2 harps, 2 electric guitars, cimbalom, 2 pianos, on-stage harpsichord, 2 percussion, minimum 22 strings), CD (music by Michel van der Aa)
• Woodpecker (1999) for percussion
• Image de Moreau (1999) for piano
• Dirck Sweelinck Missed the Prince (1999) for harpischord
• What Shall I Buy You, Son? (2000) for voice, piano
• Boodschappenlijstje van een gifmengster (2000) (text by the composer) for vocalist (also writes), voice (may be performed as Shopping List of a Poisoner
• Inanna's Descent (2000) for mezzo-soprano, piccolo, oboe, violin, piano, 2 percussion ensembles (4-12 total players)
• The New Math(s) (2000) (text by Hal Hartley) for soprano, transverse flute, violin, marimba, CD (music by Michel van der Aa), 2000 (film score; may be performed as a concert work)
• Feli-citazione (2000) for piano
• Passeggiata in tram in America e ritorno (2001) (text by Dino Campana) for female Italian voice, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, electric guitar, electric violin, double bass, piano, percussion, 1998 (also version for voice, flute, French horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, amplified violin, double bass, piano
• De vleugels van de herinnering (2001) (text by Larissa Tiginachvili ) for voice, piano
• Fanfare om te beginnen (2001) for 6 groups of French horns
• La Passione (2000-02) (text by Dino Campana) for female jazz voice, violin, small orchestra (7 winds, 7 brass, electric guitar, cimbalom, 2 pianos, synthesizer, 2 percussion, 3 violins, bass guitar)
• Very Sharp Trumpet Sonata (2002) for trumpet
• Strijkkwartet No. 2, 'Tuin van Eros (2002) for string quartet
• Klokken voor Haarlem (2002) for piano, celesta, synthesizer, vibraphone (+ glockenspiel)
• Inanna (2003) texts by Hal Hartley, Theo J.H. Krispijn) for 4 voices, 3 actors, mixed chorus, contrabass clarinet, 4 saxophones, violin, film (by Hal Hartley)
• Letter from Cathy (2003) (text from a letter by Cathy Berberian to the composer) for female jazz voice, harp, violin, double bass, piano, percussion
• Tuin van Eros (2003) for violin, piano
• RUTTMANN Opus II, III, IV (2003) for flute, 3 saxophones, French horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, double bass, piano
• Haags Hakkuh ? The Hague Hacking (2003) for 2 pianos
• Racconto dall'inferno (2004) (text by Dante Alighieri) for female jazz voice, small orchestra (8 winds, 6 brass, guitar, cimbalom, 2 pianos, 2 percussion, minimum 8 strings, bass guitar)