De Volharding

With the piece de Volharding I set out to break down a few musical barriers. That was also the intention of the so-called Inclusive Concerts that were organised in Amsterdam in the early 1970s. These were free concerts lasting 8 or 9 hours in which all sorts of music were performed: avant garde, medieval music, pop, jazz, electronic music, and so forth. With this formula we hoped to break through the exclusivity of the various concert genres and their audiences. While working on de Volharding I was already aware that the 'democratizing' of music was not just about organizing concerts, but also about the music itself. The work de Volharding thus has just as much to do with avant garde music as with folk music elements, like persistent rhythms and a freer interpretation by the performer. That comes from the fact that the work's content, as well as the way in which the piece is performed, is ultimately influenced by the players themselves.


Louis Andriessen


Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer