NEWS
Welcome to my website! Since its launch last February I have received many enthusiastic reactions, mainly concerning the informative features of the site, but apparently visitors find it a shame that they can only contact me through my agent, Sorek Artists in The Hague. Should you wish to write to me personally, you can do so by sending an e-mail to marcelbeekman@orange.nl
2006 has so far been enormously busy with many concerts in the Netherlands
and abroad. Amongst the highlights have been the concerts with Couperin's "Leçons
de Ténèbres" during the Festa da Música in Lisbon; the remarkable beauty of
Nikolai Obouchov's "Le troisième et dernier Testament" at the Holland Festival
and the unexpected success of the CD-recording of Jan Rot's Dutch translation of
Bach's St. Matthew Passion; despite some scepticism in the papers the sales
figures have proved just how large an audience this CD appeals to. This success
produced lots of media publicity and with it some extremely busy days. I won't
easily forget April 2006! I'd like to thank everyone whose positive criticism
reached me either through the media or the record company. Soon after this CD
had reached number one in the top 100-album charts in the Netherlands, Universal
Music invited me to record a follow-up album; this time on my own with piano
accompanist Ernst Munneke. The recordings for "Zomerreis" [Schubert's "Die
schöne Müllerin" in a Dutch translation, again by Jan Rot] took place in early
July and the release of the album is on 29th September
on the Deutsche Grammophon label, integrated in the national CD campaign
Aangenaam Klassiek 2006.
As I write this article, the rehearsals for Cavalli's "Ipermestra" have just
started; these will culminate in a fully staged production for the opening on
24th August of the Utrecht Early Music Festival,
which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Further performances will
take place on August 26th and 28th. Amongst an almost entirely Italian cast I'm
preparing my role of Berenice, a lady
of advanced years. With her rather inappropriate observations she provides some
humorous moments in this classic Greek drama about love, betrayal and power. Wim
Trompert is directing. This production, conducted by Mike Fentross, is to be
released on CD afterwards.
The autumn will see another project with conductor Claus Peter Flor [this time
in Milan with the Symphony Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi]; the CD release of Elmer
Schönberger's "Dovemansoren" with the Schönberg Ensemble conducted by Micha
Hamel; a first production with Johannes Leertouwer, who will conduct Mozart's
Requiem during a tour with the Netherlands Bach Society; a Schumann songrecital
in De Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam and finally a series of concerts with Les
Arts Florissants and William Christie in, amongst other venues, the restored and
re-opened Salle Pleyel in Paris and Barbican Hall in London. Please consult the
AGENDA for any further details regarding the concert planning.
Marcel Beekman [July 2006]
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