NL2

Famous organ by Christian Müller, 1738, III/p/61. Händel, on his way between England and Germany, made a detour for it twice (1740 and 1750). The ten years old Mozart played the organ in April 1866 while his father was at the printing office of Joh. Enschedé to receive the Dutch edition of his Violinschule .  (The family stayed in Het gulden Vlies at the Grote Markt ─ demolished. An entrance gate of the Enschedé office is extant, behind the church.)  here are regular organ recitals and yearly international improvisation contests. In the Brouwerskapel  there is the grave of the priest and music theorist Joan Albert Ban (1597/98-1644). He corresponded with Descartes, Huygens and many musical authorities and always hammered on rationality; his radical theories and self-willed terminology are fascinating, but didn’t find general acceptance. As a composer he was more a scientist than a musician. The favourite composer of the poet Vondel, Cornelis Tymenszoon Padbrué, lived at the address Grote Markt 6.

This concert hall was built in 1873 and extended in 1986. Its acoustics are praised and so is the organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll from 1875; in 1920 it was moved from the Paleis van Volksvlijt, Amsterdam, that was demolished in 1929.

House of the organist Nicolaas Andriessen and birthplace of three famous sons of his: the pianist Willem, the composer Hendrik and the sculptor Mari. Nevertheless no plaque.

The oeuvre of Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981) includes remarkable organ-, church- and symphonic music. Besides he worked as essayist and teacher and as conservatory director in Utrecht and The Hague. He is the father of the composers Jurriaan and Louis Andriessen.

Roman Catholic cathedral from 1853 to 1898. Organ by Lindsen 1856/Adema 1906. Nico and Hendrik Andriessen and Albert de Klerk were organists here.The church was built on the demolished northern part of the Begijnhof. The music theorist and composer Joan Albert Ban (1597-1644) had lived there in the house Roodenburgh; a plaque remembers him at the presbytery.

Church from the mid 17^th century. Organ by Hendrik Hermanus Hess, 1791, II/p/22; a part of the pipes is from an instrument by van Covelen from 1523.

The present Haarlem Cathedral was consecrated in 1998. Main organ by Joseph Adema, 1923, then built for a church in Amsterdam and placed here in 1970; IV/p/81. 

The pupils of the Koorschool , aged 8 to 12 years, occupy a prominent place in the cathedral choir. The school was established in 1951 and offers primary education, combined with musical training and participation in divine services and – also secular ─ concerts.

House of the Hungarian violinist and composer Zoltán Székely (1903-2001). He had married the Dutch Mientje Evers and had this house built after the design of the famous architect Gerrit Rietveld. The couple moved in in 1935; the first guest was Zoltán’s friend Béla Bartók. The house is named after Bartók’s 2^nd Rapsodie, dedicated to him. During the war, he organised clandestine performances with the Hungarian String Quartet while his house had been confisquated by the Germans. Székely moved to Canada in 1971.

Grave of the organist and composer Johan Gijsbert Bastiaans (1812-1858). He was organist in the Grote Kerk and a fervent promoter of Bach’s music; on his grave stone the B.A.C.H. motive has been engraved.

Fine collection of hand organs, since 2004 in this building. Concerts. Open on Sundays.

A stone bench was erected in 1921 in honour of the composer Philip Loots (1865-1916); he wrote popular children’s songs, of which Hannes loopt op klompen is the best known.

Arnold Schönberg lived here during the season 1920-21. He came to Holland through the intervention of Willem Mengelberg, to give composition courses in Amsterdam and to perform his works; the Gurrelieder had two successful performances. The Zandvoort house was rebuilt upon the original groundwork.

House of the Hungarian violinist and composer Zoltán Székely (1903-2001). He had married the Dutch Mientje Evers and had this house built after the design of the famous architect Gerrit Rietveld. The couple moved in in 1935; the first guest was Zoltán’s friend Béla Bartók. The house is named after Bartók’s 2^nd Rapsodie, dedicated to him. During the war, he organised clandestine performances with the Hungarian String Quartet while his house had been confisquated by the Germans. Székely moved to Canada in 1971.

One of the best baroque composers of the Netherlands was Willem de Fesch. He was born in Alkmaar in 1687, but left his native city, at first for Amsterdam and Antwerp and from 1732 he worked successfully in London, where he died in 1757.

There are two valuable organs in this gothic church: a renaissance instrument by Jan van Covelen 1511/Allaert Claesz 1555, II/p/10 (+4 from 1939), and a baroque instrument by Eekman, Germer, Hagerbeer 1645/Schnitger 1725, III/p/56.

The Beatle fan Azing Moltmaker collected a lot of objects concerning the ‘fab four’ and exhibits them in his private museum. www.beatlesmuseum.nl

On the sixth of June 1964 The Beatles gave two concerts in the large vegetable auction hall ‘Op Hoop van Zegen’ in Blokker before a delirious public; a monument commemorates this legendary appearance. But also Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, the Victor Sylvester dance orchestra, Jacques Brel, Nana Mouskouri, Catarina Valente, Robert Stolz and other popular artists appeared here between 1956 and 1965. The son of the chairman of the hall and mayor, who organized the concerts, got the hall for free; otherwise they would not have been affordable. 

The bass singer and teacher Joh. Martinus Messchaert was born here in 1857. His performance of the Christ role in Bach’s Passions was considered unsurpassable. He died in Zürich in 1922.

Annex to the fish restaurant and eel smoke-house Smit-Bokkum is an exhibition about the origins, singing families and successes of Volendam’s popular music, which became known as Palingsound (eel sound). Famous groups in the 1960s were The Cats and BZN; the singer Jan Smit started his career here as a ten year old boy.

 http://www.smitbokkum.nl/palingsoundmuseum