Minimal Piano Collection: Volume XXI-XXVIII Jeroen van Veen

• Dennis Johnson (b. 1938):
• 1 November I/IV: Part 1 10:00
• 2 November I/IV: Part 2 09:59
• 3 November I/IV: Part 3 09:59
• 4 November I/IV: Part 4 09:59
• 5 November I/IV: Part 5 10:00
• 6 November I/IV: Part 6 29:54
• 7 November II/IV: Part 7 10:12
• 8 November II/IV: Part 8 10:28
• 9 November II/IV: Part 9 09:18
• 10 November II/IV: Part 10 10:05
• 11 November II/IV: Part 11 19:56
• 12 November II/IV: Part 12 19:52
• 13 November III/IV: Part 13 10:03
• 14 November III/IV: Part 14 10:19
• 15 November III/IV: Part 15 09:28
• 16 November III/IV: Part 16 10:05
• 17 November III/IV: Part 17 20:06
• 18 November III/IV: Part 18 19:48
• 19 November IV/IV: Part 19 10:00
• 20 November IV/IV: Part 20 10:31
• 21 November IV/IV: Part 21 09:38
• 22 November IV/IV: Part 22 09:39
• 23 November IV/IV: Part 23 20:10
• 24 November IV/IV: Part 24 17:06
• Philip Glass (b.1937):
• 25 Two Pages 23:10
• 26 Music in Fifths 29:19
• 27 Music in Contrary Motion 22:36
• Tom Johnson (b.1939):
• 28 Before the Silence 03:38
• 29 Around the Silence 02:15
• 30 Within the Silence 04:08
• 31 Through the Silence 02:41
• 32 Against the Silence 01:05
• 33 For the Silence 03:55
• 34 Toward the Silence 04:04
• 35 Into the Silence 03:30
• 36 Block Design 19:53
• 37 Tilework 05:42
• 38 Tango 04:27
• Peter Garland (b.1952):
• 39 A Song 24:07
• 40 Nostalgia for the Southern Cross 05:17
• 41 The Days Run Away 29:09
• 42 Two Persian Miniatures 08:15
• 43 The Fall of Quang Tri 03:11
• Teodoro Cottrau (1827 - 1879):
• 44 Keyboard Studies: No. 1 25:44
• 45 Keyboard Studies: No. 2 33:20
• Harold Budd (b.1938):
• 46 Children on the Hill 05:43
• La Monte Young (b.1935):
• 47 Composition 1960 No. 7 04:33
• Total Runtime 09:46:17

Info for Minimal Piano Collection: Volume XXI-XXVIII

Who is the true father of Minimalism? When the movement originated in the early 1960s, it sprang up organically – some composers played by the rules (even if they were rules of their own invention), while others experimented freely, unaware or unconcerned about how music 'should' be composed. One of those young mavericks was Dennis Johnson, who has now faded into almost complete obscurity after he gave up his musical ambitions for a career in mathematics. But his 1959 composition November can be considered one of the first, if not the first, properly minimalist work. It later went on to inspire La Monte Young (Johnson's class mate at UCLA) to write his prolific Well-Tuned Piano. Complete recordings are few and far between, and this new recording by Jeroen van Veen is the perfect introduction for anyone looking to get back to the roots of Minimalism.

Jeroen van Veen is one of the Netherlands' most prominent recording artists. This collection of Minimal Piano Music follows two previous successful albums, available on Brilliant Classics (BC8551 and BC9171). The last album provided a snapshot into the extensive scene of minimalist music today; this one takes us back to how it all began. Featuring several famous pieces from the original minimalist canon – including Philip Glass's Music in Contrary Motion and Terry Riley's Keyboard Studies – there are hours of beautifully relaxing and inspiring music here to enjoy.

This eight album set bring the listener back to the roots of Minimalism, all works were written in the seventies of the 20th century, a time when the new aesthetics and perception of music, sound, repetition and time experience were creating a new chapter in music history. The longest piece is the 5 hour “November” by Dennis Johnson, a work in which the player is free to build the intervals and chords according to his own timing and spacing. The other composers in this set are Philip Glass, Tom Johnson, Peter Garland, Terry Riley, Harold Budd and La Monte Young. Recorded in his own studio by the most important protagonist of Minimalism today, Dutch pianist Jeroen van Veen. Van Veen has a myriad of recordings to his name, notably the multi CD boxes Minimal Piano Collection 1 and 2, complete Satie, Einaudi, Tiersen, Jacob ter Veldhuis, Simeon ten Holt and many more.

Van Veen wrote his own personal and illuminating liner notes for this set.

Jeroen van Veen, piano

Jeroen Van Veen
born 1969 started playing the piano at the age of 7. He studied at the Utrecht Conservatory with Alwin Bär and Håkon Austbö. In 1993 he passed the Performing Artists' Exam. Van Veen has played with orchestras conducted by Howard Williams, Peter Eötvös, Neal Stulberg and Robert Craft. He has played recitals in Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia & the USA. Van Veen attended master classes with Claude Helffer, Hans-Peter & Volker Stenzl and Roberto Szidon. He was invited to several festivals; Reder Piano Festival (1988), Festival der Kunsten in Bad Gleichenberg (1992), Wien Modern (1993), Holland Dance Festival (1998) Lek Art Festival (1996-2007). Van Veen recorded for major Dutch Radio- and Television companies like AVRO, NOS, IKON, NCRV, TROS/Internet, WTBC-TV & Radio (Florida, U.S.A.) and Moscow Television. In 1992, Van Veen recorded his first CD with his brother Maarten as the internationally recognized Piano duo Van Veen. In 1995 Piano duo Van Veen made their debut in the United States. They were prizewinners in the prestigious 4th International Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition in Miami, Florida. After this achievement they toured the United States and Canada many times. The documentary "Two Pianos One Passion" (nominated with an Emmy Award 1996) documents them as a duo.

In 1995 Jeroen Van Veen founded the duo Sandra & Jeroen van Veen, a piano duo with Sandra Mol. As such, they mainly perform (minimal) music for multiple pianos by Erik Satie, Douwe Eisenga, Simeon ten Holt and many more. Beside his career as a solo pianist Van Veen also participates in the following ensembles: ‘Piano Ensemble’, ‘The International Piano Quartet’, ‘Piano Mania’, ‘DJ Piano’ and ‘Jeroen van Veen & Friends’.

The various (>80) compositions by Van Veen may be described as ‘Minimal Music’ with different faces, Crossovers to Jazz, Blues, Soundscape, Avant-Garde, Techno, Trance and Pop Music. Currently Mr. Van Veen is director of Van Veen Productions, Chairman of the Simeon ten Holt Foundation, Culemborg Cultural Foundation, Pianomania Foundation and artistic director of several music festivals in Culemborg, Utrecht and Veldhoven. He is active in Murray Dranoff Two Piano Competition based in Miami (USA). Over the last 20 years Van Veen recorded more than 100 CDs for several labels Mirasound, Koch, Naxos, Brilliant Classics, and his own label PIANO. The recording of Les Noces for Koch and Naxos was stated in the New York Times as " the best recording ever". Classics Today on Erik Satie pianoworks four hands, 10 artistic quality, 10 sound quality.

This album contains no booklet.