Floris Kortie has come of age. The classical-music industry's merriest curmudgeon has proved in 2024 that he can carry Podium Klassiek on his own. That he managed to get the continuation of Podium Witteman, where he was allowed to freewheel as the insightful nephew, through a deep crisis is to his credit. After the departure of Mike Boddé, who said he wanted more money, and the tragic departure of Dieuwertje Blok for health reasons, it seemed for a while that we were in a death house had ended up. Could NPO Classical survive without an old hand like Paul Witteman?
On Sunday 12 January, the old hand sat proudly, but also a little smugly, on the front row of the audience at the anniversary broadcast of the programme that once began under his name, flanked by his then editor-in-chief, now editor-in-chief of Classical at NPO, Makira Mual. Enough reason for pride, because Podium Klassiek stands like a happy house. It offers plenty of opportunities to wax holy about classical music where desired, only to overturn those sacred cows a little later with a piece of jazz, world music, or Cor Bakker.
Traveller in Music
Memorable during this festive broadcast was the look back at now-defunct music programmes not called Countdown or Toppop. Especially Traveller in Music riep warme gevoelens op. Dat sneuvelde om de kijkcijfers. Al kun je ook wel snappen dat een zo exclusief programma het nu prima zou doen als vod- of podcast met een nerdy liefhebber/presentator die een uur met een collega-muzikant het diepe in duikt.
That such a thing was once possible on the first net of national television does make one nostalgic. Once upon a time, we were okay with programmes being made for 25,000 viewers, who would never watch Maestro, even if you forced them.
Lotje Ijzermans
The cultural programmes before and after Podium Klassiek are all not broadcast live. For books, this is not always necessary. As far as I'm concerned, they could be more detached from current affairs. For instance, that you don't ask the same writer the same questions about his new book, and give the same answers that have already been covered in dozens of other media.
But then again, can VPRO Books ignore Herman Koch? In any case, the second broadcast was a lot more surprising on Sunday 12 January. Lotje Ijzermans spoke well and interestedly to writers who had something to say that we did not yet know.
Gijs Groenteman's house band
Groenteman was in a funny little theatre in Amersfoort last month. There, the first broadcast presented him with a smashing show featuring the Gospel Queen of the Netherlands. Was it a pity that this broadcast, filled with Surinamese roots, coincided with the 'people's funeral' of Desi Bouterse, and was not about that at all? It was the only moment when the journalist in me regretted that the programme had been recorded a fat month earlier,
Remains that Groenteman on Sunday should get another house band. They should take a cue from Podium Klassiek there. That programme's house band, Fuse, is a sought-after act on national stages, and features appealing musicians. Groenteman's house band doesn't have that appeal. They are there for accompaniment. The singers exude that they are background singers, and all the musicians refuse to stand out.
How nice would it be to have a club with character there, like Fuse? Such a club could challenge the show's performing main guests to new horizons. We'll wait for the next season for that.
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