© De Waalse Kerk Voyager Trio
Amsterdam, De Waalse Kerk
About the Event
When you think of Indonesia, the spicy smells of Oriental cuisine probably quickly come to mind. But perhaps also wajang dolls, twittering monkeys meandering through the jungle, or a volcano that could erupt at any moment. Or the traditional dances in beautiful attire. But perhaps also the musical style of the gamelan? The gamelan music — derived from the Javanese word “gamel” meaning beating or hammering — is deeply rooted in the mythology, mysticism and belief systems of Indonesia.
Several composers drew inspiration from the gamelan, its rich folk culture and the beautiful nature of the islands. For example, the virtuoso pianist Godowsky became so enchanted during his 1925 concert tour of Java that he later wrote his iconic Java Suite. And a century later, the Frenchwoman Decruck outlined her impressions of the island for saxophone and piano.
There are several composers born and raised in the Dutch East Indies. The route the other way was also made to study or work in the Netherlands from Indonesia.Today's composers and artists take us on a fascinating journey into the classical music of the former Dutch East Indies and present Indonesia. We will not only be treated to cross‐pollinations with beautiful music and dance, but also some Indonesian delicacies to make the party complete.
Program
Tempo Doeloe
(Bahasa for times gone by)
Theo Smit Sibinga
Serenade
Leopold Godowsky
From the Java suite:
1. Gamelan
2. Wayang Purwa (Puppet Shadow Plays).
3. Chattering Monkeys
4. The Bromo Volcano
Henk Badings
La Malinconia
Paul Seelig
Kupu‐Kupu and Pisang Mas
Theo Smit Sibinga
Song on a text by the Javanese poet Noto Soeroto
Fernande Decruck
Île des Java
Constant van de Wall
Kaloek toean djalan dahoeloe
Paul Seelig
Chansons Javanaises op. 19
Rudolf Escher
Due voci
Ananda Sukarlan
Ketika kau entah dimana
B. VD Sigtenhorst Meyer
Morgen in den Tenger
Maarten Bauer
Lanskap Berkabut
Fero Aldiansya
Puteri 1000 Candi
Joey Roukens
Riffs, for saxophone, cello and piano (2025, arr. J. Roukens)
Mochtar Embut
Srikandi
Cast / Production
Rahmida Dewi Patmawati — Indonesian dance
Bernadeta Astari — Indonesian vocals
Voyager Trio:
Arno Bornkamp — saxophone
Pamela Smits — cello
Tobias Borsboom — piano
Address
De Waalse Kerk, Walenpleintje 159, Amsterdam, Netherlands — Google Maps
