The latest book by music journalist and musicologist Erik Voermans was presented on 4 February: From Andriessen to Zappa. After twenty-five years of writing for The Parool Voermans has compiled his conversations with the luminaries of modern-classical music in a chic edition. Paul van der Steen's detailed drawings inspire listening to the music discussed.
The presentation in the Grote Zaal of the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam begins an hour before the scheduled concert by ensemble in residence Asko|Schönberg. Michel Khalifa introduces the book, which is on sale from today, and Erik Voermans appears on stage. He talks about his quarter century as music journalist of The Parool, the newspaper for which he wrote the bundled reviews and interviews.
But there is more to read than the already published pieces,' Voermans betrays. 'I have found notes that I have never used before, for instance notes of a forgotten conversation with Boulez, which is now in there. The common thread is always the search for the most intimate thing about oneself and the courage to write it down in one's own way. I think it's quite something to dare to do that.'
Voermans talks about the work with appropriate self-mockery, shifts attention to Paul van der Steen, present in the room, who has enriched the collection with very successful drawings, and stays in the background of the written word. Things get really festive when Voermans invites Louis Andriessen on stage. Handing over the first copy to Holland's most famous composer, the life of his book begins.
Paul van der Steen
After the ceremony and before the start of the concert with the very appropriate theme "Himmlische Freuden", there will be an opportunity to talk to the makers over a glass of bubbly.
'My drawings allow the reader a peek inside,' says Paul van der Steen. His white, curly hair contrasts with his black glasses, giving him the sympathetic look of his own design. 'I was very thorough in my approach. I started with illustrations and the more I listened to the compositions, the more important the details became. How do you draw music? How do you depict rhythm? You have to look at it carefully and for a long time, then there is an associative story to discover that the viewer can also fill in himself.'
He opens the book on page 462 and points to the picture of John Adams and John Cage.
'Adams balances here on a rope between two worlds, between the past on the left and the future on the right. For me, his music is a bridge between Mahler and Cage. I reflected the rhythm in the restlessness of the little lines. The small colourful squares and arrows reflect the dynamics. With Louis Andriessen, I depicted the Phrygian chord, which he uses a lot in his work, as his thought. Working on this project was a voyage of discovery for me. Messiaen, for instance, is now in my heart forever.'
Erik Voermans
As soon as the concert starts, the foyer empties. It is the perfect time to speak quietly to the writer.
'In 1990, I wrote a thesis on the correspondence between Peter Schat and Rudolf Escher but From Andriessen to Zappa is my first real book,' says Erik Voermans at the table in the now quiet Zouthaven restaurant. He folds his hands and looks at the water of the IJ. 'I feel like I've never really worked before because everything I'm working on is my passion. And then I get paid for it too - isn't that the most beautiful profession in the world?' He smiles shyly. 'The book is a result of my work. Listening and associating is essential in my profession as a music editor. Atmosphere and sound soon move me in music. In the concert hall, I always take notes, writing down my impressions. These compelling associations form the piece, which is then put into The Parool appears. These phrases in conjunction with the music itself are worthwhile for me.'
How does a reviewer with such a sharp pen listen to music?
'It is ultra subjective, it also depends on the combination of piece and composer but I think the atmosphere and sound are decisive. That's why I love Takemitsu's music so much. All contemporary music deserves respect - that's my starting point. The difference between good and bad music is in the colour and care of the writing. This is always reflected in the performance. I do nothing but translate the music into words. The publication of the book is my personal celebration after twenty-five years of being a music journalist. I do cherish an idealistic wish: to bring contemporary music to ordinary people - through the word to music. Why? If you become intensely happy with beauty and sound, you won't easily reach for guns. I firmly believe in that. That is why I will continue to write columns, reviews and reports on music and interview composers, whether they want to or not.'
Read the discussion of the book by Thea Derks
Erik Voermans:From Andriessen to Zappa
Deuss Music
Price €19.99
650 pages. 18 illustrations in colour
Dimensions 140 x 220 cm.
Hard Cover. Sewn Bound.
ISBN 9789 0824 0890 4
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
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