Louis Andriessen: De Stijl; M Is for Man, Music, Mozart

Louis Andriessen (Composer), Jurjen Hempel (Conductor), Reinbert de Leeuw (Conductor), Orkest de Volharding (Orchestra), Schoenberg Ensemble with Asko Ensemble (Orchestra), Astrid Seriese (Performer), Gertrude Thoma (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Astrid Seriese, Gertrude Thoma
• Orchestra: Orkest de Volharding, Schoenberg Ensemble with Asko Ensemble
• Conductor: Jurjen Hempel, Reinbert de Leeuw
• Composer: Louis Andriessen
• Audio CD (August 9, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005J2T
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,118 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. De Stijl

2. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Alphabet Song

3. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Instrumental I

4. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Vesalius Song

5. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Instrumental II

6. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Schultz Song

7. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Instrumental III

8. M is for Man, Music, Mozart, for voice & orchestra: Eisenstein Song

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars boogie-woogie barnburner, November 2, 2004

By 

klangfarbenguy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louis Andriessen: De Stijl; M Is for Man, Music, Mozart (Audio CD)

"De Styjl" is one of the great postminimalist, postmodern pieces. It combines funky horn riffs with boogie-woogie piano, and a bizarre choral overlay that somehow all works together. There is an almost Ivesian feel to the way, for example, the brass chugs away as the chorus seems to be off in a different harmonic world moving at its own rate. A whacky spoken interlude concerning Piet Mondrian (whose painting inspired "De Styjl") brings the work to yet another unexpected place and the whole thing finally gives way static series of isolated chords that wouldn't seem too out of place in the music of Luciano Berio, Andriessen's erstwhile teacher. The performance is committed but perhaps could, at times, swing a bit more.

I wish I could say something more positive about "M is for Man, Music, and Mozart." The music is, I think, trying to be charming but it ends up simply being cloying. I'm not qualified to judge the performance here which seems to be intentionally rough.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars hot & cold, February 6, 2008

By 

Perry Townsend (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louis Andriessen: De Stijl; M Is for Man, Music, Mozart (Audio CD)

I agree w/klangfarben: "De Stijl" is a rollicking good time, yet also somehow haunting and slightly disturbing ... in a good way. =) The placement of the Mondrian monologue at the golden-section point of the piece just plain works -- exactly how defies description. Why is it even there?? Louis is not saying; maybe Piet can tell us... I'll have to remember to stare at some Mondrian and ponder this. Anyway, it's a fabulous, audacious piece, performed with muy cajones!

"M is for Man" on the other hand is schlocky, occasionally funny, but basically shallow & unsatisfying. Maybe it works better with the television graphics, but just on its own music-wise, esp. alongside "De Stijl", it falls flat. Fortunately "De Stijl" takes up the bulk of the disc, thus my 4-stars. What really irritates me about the recording though is: there is *NO* silent space at all between the end of the huge, 25-minute "De Stijl" and the beginning of "M is for Man"! We SOOOOO need time to digest "De Stijl" on its own & let it settle -- and most importantly to hit Stop before that other damn thing starts. :p

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning!, June 11, 2001

By 

SK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louis Andriessen: De Stijl; M Is for Man, Music, Mozart (Audio CD)

Do not attempt to listen to De Stijl if you don't want the most upbeat, contagious boogie-woogie tune in your head to make you dance for the rest of the week. Basso ostinato, canon, fugue, formal structure, Stravinski-influence--formal musical analysis could be put to use here, but anyone who thinks they've heard "classical" music before and listens to this piece will have to rethink some things.