Theo Verbey

Theo Verbey (5 July 1959 – 13 October 2019) was a Dutch composer.

Biography

Theo Verbey was a Dutch contemporary classical composer whose music is performed by orchestras and ensembles throughout the world. His style could be considered to be associated with Postmodern music. Verbey was also a skilled arranger who first achieved recognition for his orchestral instrumentation of Alban Berg's Piano Sonata, Op. 1, a piece he orchestrated in 1984 while still a student. He studied at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague where he graduated in 1986. His principal composition teachers were Peter Schat and Jan van Vlijmen.[1] Upon completing his studies Verbey rapidly became one of the most performed of living Dutch composers.[2] In 1987 he was awarded the Amsterdam Arts Fund's incentive award for young composers, and since received commissions from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the London Sinfonietta, the Residentie Orchestra, the Dutch Radio Filharmonisch Orkest and the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, Klangforum Wien, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and many others. Theo Verbey taught at both the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, as well as having been on the composition jury for the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels in 1992 and 1997.[3] His work shows a high regard for structure, beauty, and a great historical awareness, as well as a special regard for instrumental color and subtle harmonies.

Projects

Later commissions included Traurig wie der Tod, a work for orchestra and chorus premiered by the Netherlands Radio Filharmonisch Orkest and the Netherlands Radio Choir, conducted by James Gaffigan, as well as Lumen ad Finem Cuniculi, written for philharmonie zuidnederland and conducted by Dmitri Liss. The Brodsky Quartet commissioned Verbey to provide a segment for their celebrated song cycle, Trees, Walls, Cities. Verbey composed 4 Preludes to Infinity for The Stolz Quartet, a work which is included on their CD, Dutch Masters and Their Inspiration. More recently, the duo Andrea Vasi & Sebastiaan Kemner performed Ballade, a work for trombone and piano written especially for them. In 2007, Theo Verbey completed his second commission for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: LIED, for Trombone and Orchestra, with Jörgen van Rijen as soloist. His Fractal Symphony was chosen by choreographer Regina van Berkel as music to accompany her ballet Memory of a Shape performed by Ballet Mainz in 2009. Van Berkel also based a second ballet based on Verbey's music, which was performed by the ballet company of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in February/March 2011 under the title Frozen Echo.[4] Memory of a Shape received its Dutch premiere in 2017, when it was performed by Introdans. In November 2010, Theo Verbey's piece Bandersnatch for cello and pianola was premiered by Larissa Groeneveld as part of the Amsterdam Cello Biënnale. It was Mr. Verbey's second commission for the Biënnale.[5]

In 2009/2010, Theo Verbey was Composer-in-Residence of the Brabant Philharmonic Orchestra, based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. In celebration of that orchestra’s 60th jubilee, Verbey was commissioned to compose Orchestral Variations which showcases each section of the orchestra both individually and within the ensemble.

Verbey also collaborated with Klangforum Wien on their Free Radicals program, providing a score for Man Ray's 1923 film, Retour à la Raison. This was not Theo Verbey's first contact with the medium of film: in 1994, film maker Alejandro Agresti used Verbey's piece TEGENBEWEGING as the basis of his short film which formed a segment of Hexagon, a film project made for the Holland Festival.[6]

Orchestrations

In addition to composing his own works, Theo Verbey earned high regard for his orchestrations. One of his earliest successes, Alban Berg's Piano Sonata, Op. 1, has been performed many times by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,[2] among others. Other orchestrations included an arrangement of Leoš Janáček's piano sonata 1. X. 1905. In 2006 Theo Verbey was asked by Amsterdam Sinfonietta to arrange the three remaining movements of Alban Berg's Lyric Suite for string orchestra.[7] At the invitation of ECHO (European Concert Hall Organization) this version of the Lyric Suite was included in Amsterdam Sinfonietta's successful 2011 tour of six major European cities. Mr. Verbey was granted permission by the heirs of Igor Stravinsky to complete the orchestration of the unfinished 1919 version of Les noces for voices, pianola, 2 cimbaloms, harmonium and percussion. This version has been so successful that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands chose it for her annual Queen's Day Concert in her palace in The Hague. Verbey also orchestrated three Mussorgsky song cycles (Sunless, the Nursery, and Songs and Dances of Death), which are regularly performed. He also arranged Scriabin's Preludes op. 33, as well as Three Choral Preludes by J.S. Bach for oboe, violin, viola and cello.

Works
  • 2019 Ariadne for large orchestra, commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
  • 2017-18 After the Great War for large orchestra, written to mark the ending of World War I, commissioned by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and the Residentie Orchestra
  • 2016 Ballade for trombone and piano
  • 2015 Lumen Ad Finem Cuniculi for large orchestra, written to commemorate the end in 1976 of coal Mining in Limburg.
  • 2015 Traurig wie der Tod for choir and orchestra based on poems by Hans Bethge (poet)
  • 2013 4 preludes to Infinity for oboe, violin, viola and cello
  • 2013 La Malinconia for harp solo
  • 2012 In the Garden of Paracelsus for soprano and string quartet, text by Peter Huchel, commissioned by the Brodsky Quartet
  • 2011 La Malinconia for piano solo
  • 2010 Bandersnatch for cello and pianola inspired by a character in Lewis Carroll's poem, Jabberwocky
  • 2009 Orchestral Variations for large orchestra
  • 2009 Tractus for cimbalom, harmonium and strings
  • 2008 Inquietus for large orchestra
  • 2008 Graduale piano and electronics
  • 2008 No Comment ringtone for orchestra
  • 2008 Invitation to a Beheading for orchestra inspired by the book, Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov
  • 2007 Man Ray, le Retour à la Raison for ensemble
  • 2007 LIED for trombone and orchestra, commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with Jörgen van Rijen as soloist
  • 2006 Piano Concerto for piano and orchestra
  • 2006 5 Pieces for violoncello solo
  • 2005 Clarinet Concerto for clarinet and orchestra
  • 2005 Fractal variations for string orchestra
  • 2004 Perplex for 6 instruments
  • 2004 Fractal symphony for orchestra
  • 2002 Schaduw (Shadow) for string quartet, string orchestra and percussion instruments
  • 2001, rev. 2004 Spring Rain for string quartet
  • 1999 Trio for violin, cello and piano
  • 1999 Sospeso for percussion ensemble
  • 1998 Sechs Rilke-Lieder for baritone and piano, based on poems by Rainer Maria Rilke
  • 1998 Sechs Rilke-Lieder for baritone and orchestra, based on poems by Rainer Maria Rilke
  • 1998 Fandango for recorder quartet
  • 1998 Sestetto for flute, harp and string quartet
  • 1997 Alliage for large orchestra
  • 1996 Conciso for orchestra
  • 1995 Hommage II for viola
  • 1995 Notturno for oboe, 2 horns and strings
  • 1995 Pavane oubliée for harp and strings
  • 1994 Orchestration of Bez solnca (Without Sun) by Modest Mussorgsky, for voice and orchestra, based on texts by A.A. Golenishchev-Kutusov
  • 1994 Orchestration of The Nursery by Modest Mussorgsky, for voice and orchestra
  • 1994 Orchestration of the Songs and Dances of Death by Modest Mussorgsky, for bass and chamber orchestra, based on texts by A.A. Golenishchev-Kutusov
  • 1992 Whitman for soprano and orchestra, based on poems by Walt Whitman
  • 1992 Product for chamber ensemble
  • 1992 Duet for two trumpets
  • 1991, rev. 1994 Passamezzo for saxophone quartet
  • 1991, rev. 1994 Triade for orchestra
  • 1990 Arrangement of the Trois Chansons (Ravel) for large ensemble
  • 1990 De Peryton for 7 wind instruments inspired by Jorge Luis Borges the Peryton
  • 1989 De Simorq for chamber orchestra
  • 1988, rev. 1997 Chaconne, for string trio
  • 1988, rev. 1990 Expulsie (parts I/IV), for large ensemble
  • 1987 Inversie, for 10 instruments
  • 1987 Contractie for flute, bass clarinet and piano
  • 1986 Tegenbeweging (Contrary Motion) for orchestra
  • 1985, rev. 1989 Aura for large ensemble
  • 1985 Random symphonies electronic music
  • 1984 Orchestration of the Sonata opus 1 by Alban Berg
  • 1983 Arrangement of the Sonata opus 101 by Ludwig van Beethoven for string quartet
  • 1983 Arrangement of the sonata for two pianos by Igor Stravinsky for flute, hobo, clarinet, bassoon, violin and cello
  • 1982 Triplum for 12 wind instruments
  • 1980 Nocturne, for piano
  • 1976 Caprice symphonique for orchestra[8]
gollark: I had an idea a while ago: Image esolang, but 3D by using a *sequence* of images, say in a video or GIF.
gollark: Yes, produce esolang?
gollark: https://osmarks.tk/corn doesn't contain anyone saying your names, does it?
gollark: * https://osmarks.tk/corn
gollark: Nonsense, I have recognized their true superintelligent nature.

References
  1. Mijnheer, J. (2000). "Theo Verbey", The Essential Guide to Dutch Music
  2. "Composer in the Spotlight: Theo Verbey" Archived 20 July 2011 at Archive.today, Music Center The Netherlands, Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  3. Samama, L. "Verbey, Theo", Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 1 September 2010. (subscription required)
  4. World premiere of Frozen Echo by Regina van Berkel, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  5. http://amsterdamsecellobiennale.nl/program-detail/56//Retrieved on 2010-29-11
  6. http://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=B80DD151-F283-4836-A08D-563FFFE97029//Retrieved on 2011-12-4
  7. Alban Berg – Lyrische Suite/ for string orchestra, Universal Edition Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  8. http://www.theoverbey.com/web/repertoire.aspx
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