ARTIST’s NOTE – For a long time, I have cherished the idea of making of an album dedicated to Dutch compositions written for the classical guitar. During my studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague between 2008 and 2014, I developed a strong curiosity about the relationship between creating and performing musicians, in current times and in the past.
To expand my knowledge on this topic, I worked with living composers whose collaboration I dearly treasure. The realisation of Remgewogen is a project that I have been looking forward to immensely. The process of actively working with composers has contributed to my musicianship, and further inspired me to compose for the classical guitar.
– Martin van Hees, guitarist
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PRODUCER’S NOTE – In many ways, I think recording an album as a soloist is one of the most difficult things to do. One might argue that with no other musicians around you to care about, recording would be a breeze. However, as a soloist, there’s nobody else in the ensemble to hide behind, and all details are laid bare for all eyes to see (or rather: all ears to hear?).
Conversely, there’s also something very formidable and strong about performing on a solo recording. You’re all alone in this big venue such as the Lutheran Church in Haarlem, against this army of microphones, picking up every thing you do, every move you make. It takes strength and courage.
And it’s specifically this what made the recording session with Martin van Hees so truly inspiring. It’s not just the love and passion for contemporary music and the will to extend the repertoire for the classical guitar that made this project what it is, but it’s the strength to sit alone in this church for three days straight, under the ever-watching eye of a recording system that doesn’t hide any detail or palliate any mistake.
The recording itself, which took place in July 2018, was just an absolute feast to me as producer; the repertoire has so many different sides to it, from Roderik de Man’s mysterious Dulcamara to the completely insane Remgewogen by Christiaan Richter, every piece has its very own identity, and Martin proved a master of displaying all these different angles. I feel proud to have worked with an artist such as Martin, and hope to produce many more interesting works with him in the future.
– Brendon Heinst, producer
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:52:00
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | TTK0030 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | Aart Strootman, Christiaan Richter, Jan-Peter de Graaff, Louis Andriessen, Martin van Hees, Roderik de Man |
| Genres | |
| Amplifiers | Hegel H30 |
| Cables | Furutech custom microphone cables – Furutech LineFlux XLR interlinks – Furutech NanoFlux NCF power cables – Furutech FS-a36 loudspeaker cables |
| Digital Converters | Merging Technologies HAPI |
| Mastering Engineer | Brendon Heinst |
| Microphones | Sonodore RCM-402 |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Recording Engineer | Brendon Heinst |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DXD |
| Speakers | KEF Blade Two |
| Release Date | November 22, 2018 |
Press reviews
Volkskrant
De jonge gitarist Martin van Hees heeft zijn tweede cd geheel gewijd aan Nederlandse muziek, wat op zichzelf al prijzenswaardig is. Zijn uiterst verzorgde, maar niettemin doortastende spel is dat evenzeer, en ook de opmerkelijke verpakking van het schijfje mag niet onvermeld blijven.
Aan Nederlandse gitaarmuziek moet wel het spreekwoordelijk kaarslichtje te pas komen. Van Hees opent met Dulcamara van Roderik de Man en Triplum van Louis Andriessen, beide sterke, maar ietwat stekelig moderne stukken. De twee eigen composities zijn aanzienlijk gitaristischer en liggen prettig in het oor, maar daardoor ontbreekt het ze helaas ook nogal aan eigenheid. In vijf Debussy-variaties weet Aart Strootman, zelf ook gitarist, een goede middenweg te vinden.
Met energiek en economisch werk van Jan-Peter de Graaff en het dwarse maar geestige Remgewogen van Christiaan Richter geeft Van Hees de jongste garde toondichters een stem. Ook dat verdient een pluim.
Alpha Audio
Martin van Hees plays the guitar as a one-man band; bass, accompaniment and melody at the same time. He plays rhythmically and expressive, even a bit Latin-romantic when possible. It doesn’t sound like classical music in the sense of ‘put on a difficult face and pretend you understand’. Whilst listening, we start to wonder whether that difference really matters. In any case, we’re immersed in the music, and that’s all that matters.
All About Jazz
In a sense, the recording is more than a recital; it is a presentation of the soloist’s process, his efforts to broaden his own, and the listener’s, musical experience.
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