Unity in opposites: Verbey’s Ballade and Dutch Classical Talent

Vasi & Kemner: unity in opposites. The program itself is full of opposites: a succession of ballades written from circa 1300 up until a very recent piece composed in 2016: classic alternating with modern. A ballade is a piece of music with a narrative character; a form that arose in the Middle Ages. A musical journey through time unfolds before us. […]

Here, we would like to specifically mention the Ballade that was composed for this duo of trombone and piano by Theo Verbey, born in 1959. This piece consists of three sections. The first part is heavy, penetrating and stirring: we must sigh deeply, we feel the world on our shoulders. Fortunately, the 2nd part is a toccata: exciting, sparkling sounds that both literally and figuratively create air; the audience bounces back and their faces again have a sunny disposition. A Bach-like chorale follows in closing, in which the piano sounds light-footed while the trombone interjects in a languid and touching way. This is truly a masterly composition, and it was sublimely performed. […]

This is a translated excerpt.