Jury
Conrad Beck
Elliott Carter
Guillaume Landré
Jan Maegaard
Marcel Mihalovici
Concerts
Saturday, 8 June 1963 Concertgebouw Orkest conducted by Ernest Bour
Ton de Leeuw (Netherlands, b. 1926; d. 1996): Ombres for orchestra (1961) [11′];
Roman Haubenstock-Ramati (Austria, b. 1919 in Poland; d. 1994): Les Symphonies de timbres (1957) [13′];
+ Arnold Schönberg (Austria/United States, 1874-1951): Vier Lieder, op. 22, for soprano and orchestra (1913-16) [13′];
Karl Amadeus Hartmann (West Germany, b. 1905; d. 1963): Symphony No. 8 (1960-62) [26′].
Sunday, 9 June 1963
Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson (Iceland, b. 1938; d. 2013): Flökt (Fluctuations) for chamber orchestra (1962) [6′];
Giacomo Manzoni (Italy, b. 1932): Studio per 24 (1962) [8′];
Hans Erich Apostel (Austria, b. 1901 in Germany; d. 1972): Um Mitternacht [text: Eduard Mörike] for 6-part unaccompanied choir (1957) [8′];
Bolesław Szabelski (Poland, b. 1896; d. 1979): Aforyzmy 9 (Aphorismes 9) for chamber ensemble (1962) [5′];
Bernhard Lewkovitch (Denmark, b. 1927): Improperia for unaccompanied SATB chorus (1961) [15′];
Bengt Hambraeus (Sweden, b. 1928; d. 2000 in Canada): Constellations III for organ and electronic sounds (1959-61) [19′];
Yoritsune Matsudaira (Jaan, b. 1907; d. 2001): Bugaku (1961-62) [14′].
Monday, 10 June 1963
Armando Krieger (Argentina, b. 1940): Elegía II for alto and ensemble (1962);
Richard Meale (Australia, b. 1932; d. 2009): Sonata for Flute and Piano (1960) [17′];
Heinz Holliger (Switzerland, b. 1939): Erde und Himmel (Earth and Sky) [text: Alexander Xaver Gwerder], cantata for tenor with flute, violin, viola, violoncello, and harp (1961) [8′] sung by Louis Devos and conducted by the composer [world premiere];
Sven-Erik Bäck (Sweden, b. 1919; d. 1994): Favola for clarinet, 4 percussionists, and piano (1962) [15′];
Kees van Baaren (Netherlands, b. 1906; d. 1970): String Quartet No. 2 ‘Sovraposizioni I’ (1962) [10′];
Pierre Boulez (France, b. 1925; d. 2016): Piano Sonata No. 2 (1947-48) [35′] performed by Yvonne Loriod.
Wednesday, 12 June 1963 Special concert of Dutch orchestral works performed by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Rieu
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (Netherlands, 1562-1621) orch’d. Jan Mul (Netherlands, b. 1911; d. 1971): Variations on an Old Song (“Mein junges Leben hat ein End”) (1961) [8′] [world premiere?];
Luctur Ponse (Netherlands, b. 1914 in Hungary; d. 1998): Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, op. 33 (1962; revised 1975) [24′] featuring the composer and Geza Frid as soloists;
Will Eisma (Netherlands, b. 1929 in Indonesia): Terzo concerto for orchestra (1960) [15′];
Alphons Diepenbrock (Netherlands, 1862-1921): Ouverture from De Vogels (1917) [9′];
Guillaume Landré (Netherlands, 1905; d. 1968): Anagrammen for orchestra (1960) [12′];
Willem Pijper (Netherlands, 1894-1947): Six Symphonic Epigrams (1928) [7′].
Thursday, 13 June 1963
Alojz Srebotnjak (Yugoslavia [Slovenia], b. 1931; d. 2010): Serenata for flute, clarinet, and bassoon (1961);
Donald Martino (United States, b. 1931; d. 2005): Trio for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (1959) [13′];
Bernd Alois Zimmermann (West Germany, b. 1918; d. 1970): Sonata for Violoncello Solo (1960) [c. 15′] performed by Siegfried Palm;
Robert Suter (Switzerland, b. 1919; d. 2008): Quatre Etudes for wind quintet (1962) [14′];
Vagn Holmboe (Denmark, b. 1909; d. 1996): String Quartet No. 6 (1961) [19′].
Friday, 14 June 1963
Arne Nordheim (Norway, b. 1931; d. 2010): Canzona for orchestra (1961) [13′];
George Perle (United States, b. 1915; d. 2009): Three Movements for orchestra (1960) [17′];
Einojuhani Rautavaara (Finland, b. 1928; d. 2016): Arabescata for orchestra (Later renamed Symphony No. 4) (1963) [17′];
Jacques Ibert (France, 1890-1962): Symphonie concertante for oboe and string orchestra (1948/49) [26′-28′] featuring Koen van Slogteren [in memoriam Ibert];
Krzysztof Penderecki (Poland, b. 1933; d. 2020): Ofiarom Hiroszimy: Tren, na 52 Instrumenty Smyczkowe (Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima) for 52 string instruments (1960) [9′].
The following additional work was scheduled but not performed
Ilja Zeljenka (Czechoslovakia [Slovakia], b. 1932; d. 2007): Quintet for Piano, Clarinet and String Trio.
(NOTE: The work was, however, reprogrammed and actually performed during the 1964 ISCM Festival in Copenhagen.)
Significant interpreters
Vocalists: Sophia van Sante, Sonja Kurwin, Lode Devos.
Pianists: Theo Bruins, Amy Moran, Rudolf Cervenka.
Violinist: Jeannelotte Hertzberger.
Flutist: François Hébral.
Ensembles: Netherlands String Quartet, Danzi Quintet, Koppel-Quartett.
Orchestras and Chorus: Kammerchor Radio Amsterdam, Radio-Orchestra Amsterdam.
Conductors: Bruno Maderna, Roelof Krol.
Sources
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982), pp. 521 [in German].
Howard Hartog, “Amsterdam. ISCM Festival,” The Musical Times, Vol. 104, No. 1446 (August 1963), p. 567 (available online).
Bernard Jacobson, “Going Dutch,” in Music and Musicians, August 1963, p. 35.
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 568-569.
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in progress)