More information about the Willem Breuker Kollektief in:
FRENCH
"Les 11 bouffons, de leurs satires, n'épargnent aucun genre musical. Véritable institution musicale, le WBK a un secret: un parfait équilibre entre l'humour régulièrement renouvelé et la qualité irréprochable de la musique. C'est précisément parce qu'elle est portée par des musiciens tous remarquables que l'insolence en est savoureuse. Breuker touche un large public: un sens profond de la cocasserie conjugué à une écriture rigoureuse, lui permet de communiquer une musique en apparence très accessible. Qui, en fait, est d'une construction élaborée. L'interprétation est méticuleuse et truffée d'excellents soli. Entre joyeuses facéties et improvisations brillantes, ces irrespectueux de l'ordre établi font voltiger les règles et conventions dans un chahut impeccable!"
A chaque concert, Willem Breuker se met à nu, s'expose, prend l'énorme pari de s'adresser sans concessions au plus large public; en trente ans de carrière professionnelle, le clarinettiste-saxophoniste-compositeur-arrangeur-chef d'orchestre neerlandais a tout essayé, tout joué, tout réinventé: airs populaires, jazz, improvisation libre, écriture savante, langages classique et contemporain, théatre musical... Avec une conception globale de la musique, de sa signification sociale et un sens de l'engagement constant, il a bati une oeuvre exigeante, dense, lucide.
ENGLISH
Willem Breuker Kollektief
The Willem Breuker Kollektief was formed in 1974, and, now that its founder has passed away 36 years later, will remain active during the years 2011 and 2012, paying homage to Willem Breuker the composer. Six of the active members of the orchestra are part of the Kollektief since the seventies. The standard formation of ten musicians has remained the same for all these years, although some projects, for instance, have called for an additional eight percussionists or eight string players. The Kollektief, one of Europe's finest ensembles, is ready as ever to play the most diverse selection of musical styles in a highly astonishing manner.
They manage from their inception to do what no other band had done or dared do - combine jazz and "serious" music with various popular (and often denigrated) genres from marching band to circus music, from latin dance steps to music for film and theatre. The result is often humorous and bewildering. They are equally at home in jazz clubs and concert halls. Most of the music is written especially for the Kollektief by Willem Breuker (with occasional pieces by other band members) and often with the talents of individual band members in mind.
The Kollektief maintains an orchestral precision that, in the words of one critic, "would be the envy of most philharmonics", while at the same time its members are highly skilled and individual improvisers as well. Over the course of time, the Kollektief has maintained its busy schedule, performing an average of 85 concerts per year. Their music has been heard all over the world including many countries in Eastern and Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Russia, and India.
The Kollektief has produced more than 25 CDs and has since 1986 regularly been featured in the top ranks of the "Downbeat Annual Critic's Poll". The Kollektief first visited China and Hong Kong in 1994, on its way to Australia. This was followed by 5 subsequent tours of China. In the spring of 1997, the Kollektief joined forces with the "Percussion Group the Hague" to perform a tribute to the American composer Edgar Varese. They gave premiere performances of Carl Davis's music for Harold Lloyd's film The Freshman in 1998. Willem Breuker wrote a special composition for the Kollektief and cellist Yo Yo Ma, which was aired on Dutch television. Meanwhile, their periodic collaborations with jazz singer Denise Jannah has been a welcome change over the years. In the autumn of 1998 and again in the spring of 1999, the Kollektief performed a series of theatrical concerts with Loes Luca singing selected works by Kurt Weill for Dutch state schools. And lets not forget their series of family concerts for parents and children they performed in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany. (Actually too many projects to fully list here).
In 2003, Willem Breuker composed "Jonah", a two-hour oratorio written for a choir of over 50 vocalists, the Kollektief, a string orchestra, and five vocalists. The oratorio toured the entire country and was also released as a DVD. In 2004 and 2005, the Kollektief returned to the USA, Canada, China, and Japan. In the meantime, Willem Breuker composed "Faust" for the silent film of the same name by F.W. Murnau (1927). The Kollektief performed "Faust" in a variety of festivals throughout Europe. The entire movie plus music (one hour and 46 minutes) has since come out on DVD. In 2007, the Kollektief did 35 performances of a new theatre show especially written for Loes Luca and the Kollektief by Willem Breuker about the life of the legendary American singer, Sophie Tucker. Later in 2007, "Faust" was performed by the Kollektief during its American tour. In 2008 the Kollektief played at the North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam) and toured the USA and Canada again in the fall. 2009 saw amongst other events a theater tour in the Netherlands.
Lineup:
Frans Vermeerssen soprano saxophone Hermine Deurloo alto saxophone, harmonica Maarten van Norden tenor saxophone George Pancras trumpet Andy Altenfelder trumpet Andy Bruce trombone Bernard Hunnekink trombone, tuba Henk de Jonge piano, synthesizer Arjen Gorter double bass Rob Verdurmen percussion
GERMAN
Das Willem-Breuker-Kollektief gehört zu den international bedeutendsten und bemerkenswertesten Jazz-Formationen. Seine Art des Musizierens und die vielfältigen Arrangements dürften wohl einmalig in der Welt sein, auch nach 30 Jahre Musikpraxis. Seine erfolgreichen Konzertreisen rund um die Erde, von Japan über Europa bis in die USA und nach Kanada, führten diese neue Musikform in weite Publikumskreise ein. Unter den zahlreichen modernen Jazz-Gruppen nimmt des Willem Breuker Kollektief wegen seines eigenwilligen Stils noch immer eine besondere Stellung ein. Die Faszination, die von ihm ausgeht, liegt im Gesamtkonzept der Band begründet: der Mischung aller musikalischen Stile und Formen, oder anders gesagt: der Verbindung von Kunstmusik mit Formen der populären Musik. Das geschieht nicht ohne Ironie, die von den Musikern noch durch theatralische Aktionen unterstrichen wird. So kommt eine mit viel Humor und Klamauk perfekt vorgetragene 'Musikclownerie' heraus, die in der internationalen Jazz-Szene Ihresgleichen sucht.
ITALIAN
Il Willem Breuker Kollektief è uno dei più raffinati ensemble Europei attivi nel campo della musica contemparanea e improvvisata. La sua musica è una commistione di generi che taglia attraverso diverse linee musicali tradizionali, combinado jazz e musica classica con diversi generi popolari come marce da banda e musica da circo o passi di danza e musica per film o teatro. Sebbene il proprio repertorio si basi soprattutto su composizioni di Breuker, non mancano brani di Haydn, Prokofiev, Grieg, Mussorgsky, Satie, Weill, Gershwin, Morricone nonché quelli dei componenti del Kollektief.
Fondato nel 1974, il kollektief comprende undici musicisti professionisti che contribuiscono attivamente alla creazione del suono collettivo con la loro vivacità improvvisativa. Negli ultimi vent'anni il Kollektief ha fatto numerose tournée in Europa Occidentale e Orientale, negli Stati Uniti, Canada, Messico, Russia e India, con una media di cento concerti all'anno. Il Kollektief ha al suo attivo otto cd, numerose performance radio e televisive e un proprio festival annuale in Amsterdam. La biografia di Willem Breuker è stata pubblicata in Francia e in Olanda; egli ha ricevuto numerosi premi e riconoscimenti tra cui il prestigioso Bird Award nel 1988.
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