Hendrik Bouman on his Compositions
“In my Bagatelle in A major I packed a heap of musical ideas, in terms of motifs, dynamics, rhythms, specific articulations, scales and syncopations in a tight frame, in such a way that the result is at once all... and nothing; in short: a bagatelle.”
My ‘contemporary Classic’ compositions, written in 18th Century style, are the fruit of my love and admiration for the magnificent musical universe of the 18th Century. As a performer specialised in Early Music, I increasingly felt it a challenge to experience what was for most of the Masters of the 17th and 18th Centuries commonplace: to perform, alone or in an ensemble, one’s own works.
In my approach to these piano compositions I savoured something of the fresh and eager spirit with which musicians in the 18th century explored this newcomer that gradually dethroned the harpsichord.”
Music coming directly from the Baroque heritage is being transformed on the piano with new technical
