Archive

Janny van Wering, the most respected Dutch harpsichordist from the 1930s to the 1950s

Graduating in 1934, she was the first professional Dutch harpsichordist who performed with all the early Dutch pioneers and Brüggen and Leonhardt; she worked both as a soloist and continuo player with several orchestras. […]

Account of the funeral of “magician” Frans Brüggen, in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam

Account of the funeral of the recorder player and conductor Frans Brüggen, in the Old Church in Amsterdam, 19 August 2014 […]

Farewell to Frans Brüggen (1934 – 2014), the most famous recorder player in the world

An appreciation of Frans Brüggen (1934 – 2014), the conductor and the most famous recorder player in the world, who died in August 2014. […]

Frans Brüggen: the early years (1942–1959), with his teacher Kees Otten

Frans Brüggen was about 8 years old when he got his first recorder lessons from his brother Hans. His next, and only, other teacher was Kees Otten, with whom he started playing professionally after he passed his exams. This post covers Brüggen’s early years, up to his first contact with Gustav Leonhardt. […]

Kees Otten, Dutch recorder pioneer

Dutch recorder virtuoso Kees Otten (1924–2008), was the teacher of Frans Brüggen and many others, and a musician of great importance for the emancipation of the recorder in Holland, its acceptance as a serious instrument, and the establishment of historically informed performance practice. […]

Frans Brüggen on Gustav Leonhardt

This is a translated extract from a 1971 interview, in which Frans Brüggen was asked to explain the “phenomenon Gustav Leonhardt”. It also includes details of a very extensive tribute by an eminent former student and some interesting links relating to Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (including an interview with Leonhardt himself) . […]