New Perspectives for Marimba Arjan Jongsma

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996:
• 1 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: I. Prelude (Arr. for Marimba) 02:29
• 2 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: II. Allemande (Arr. for Marimba) 03:15
• 3 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: III. Courante (Arr. for Marimba) 02:18
• 4 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: IV. Sarabande (Arr. for Marimba) 03:28
• 5 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: V. Bourrée (Arr. for Marimba) 01:09
• 6 Bach: Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: VI. Gigue (Arr. for Marimba) 03:09
• Sipke Hoekstra (b. 1976):
• 7 Hoekstra: Clio's Patchwork, Fantasia for Marimba 12:15
• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937):
• 8 Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, M. 82 (Arr. for Marimba) 20:10
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 9 Bach: English Suite No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 807 (Arr. for Marimba): Prelude (Arr. for Marimba) 05:44
• Maurice Ravel:
• 10 Ravel: Sonatine, M. 40: Modéré (Arr. for Marimba) 05:05
• 11 Ravel: Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn, M. 58 (Arr. for Marimba) 02:00
• Total Runtime 01:01:02

Info for New Perspectives for Marimba

Aliud Records is proud to present “New Perspectives for Marimba” by Dutch based percussionist Arjan Jongsma. Featuring works by J.S. Bach, M. Ravel and the world premiere recording of Sipke Hoekstra’s “Clio’s Patchwork, Fantasia for Marimba”, Jongsma takes a pianistic approach, truly opening up new perspectives for the Marimba.

Professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold and the Conservatorium in Amsterdam, Peter Prommel, wrote in his foreword to the liner notes “By listening to this recording, it will become obvious that it is the start of a new era of interpretation of great pieces on the marimba. At the same time, new pieces by composers with a keen ear for phrasing and colouring are seductive to the ear and display the beauty of the wood that the marimba player touches.”

The album includes two works from Johann Sebastian Bach, the Lute Suite in E minor (BWV 996) and the Prelude from the English Suite No. 2 in A minor, (BWV 807). The Lute Suite was originally written for an instrument called the “Lautenwerck”. While no original specimen of this instrument has survived, it was one of Bach’s favourite keyboard instruments and at the time of his death, he owned two of them. Similar to a harpsichord, but with gut rather than metal strings the instrument produces a mellow tone far closer to that of a lute. The marimba is extremely well suited to reproduce this warm and delicate sound that Bach presumably had in mind. Please, pay special attention to the warmth and depth of sound in the low registers, that corresponds so wonderfully with the aspects we value in the sound of the lute.

Jongsma first explored the music of Ravel while studying for his masters degree at the Conservation in Amsterdam. “I discovered that the typical sound of marimba seems to fit the impressionistic world of Ravel perfectly” said Jongsma. He went on to say that this was the main reason “to try out some of his works for piano solo on the marimba, which resulted in playing Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn and Sonatine. Almost no changes to the score were needed to be able to play those pieces, apart from some chords that I had to reduce to four voices.”

One of the major pieces presented on this album is Ravel’s “Concerto for the Left Hand in D major”. When speaking of the choice to adapt this piece Arjan explained “Obviously, when diving into Ravel’s oeuvre, the Concerto for the Left Hand in D major is a masterwork not to be missed. One of my general goals is to show as many colours as possible on the marimba. To be able to do that, we need pieces that give us those possibilities and I found out the Concerto for the Left Hand would push me to extend this range of colours even more, varying from beautifully fluent, legato lines in the final cadence, short militaristic notes in the allegro, to powerful, heavy statements in the first cadence. In the adaptation we made for marimba solo, flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, cello and piano, we tried to recreate the orchestral sound in a chamber music setting. One big advantage of this setting is that, as a marimba player, one can make use of the full dynamic range of the instrument without having to push its limits, since it is easier to balance with a small ensemble.”

Looking for a bridge between the polyphonic works of Bach and the impressionism of Ravel, Jongsma commissioned a new work from Dutch composer Sipke Hoekstra. The result, “Clio’s Patchwork, Fantasia for Marimba”, fits perfectly in this role. Arjan stated “Clio’s Patchwork is a great addition to the marimba repertoire. Together with the adaptations of the music by Bach and Ravel, to me it perfectly represents the concept of this cd: offering new perspectives for marimba.”

Arjan Jongsma, marimba

Arjan Jongsma
(1995) has been performing at various concert venues since the age of 12. During his career to date he has performed at the International Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog, Festival Wonderfeel ’s-Graveland, Bach Festival Dordrecht and the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht. Furthermore he has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Residentie Orchestra, Noordpool Orchestra, Philips Symphony Orchestra, Dutch Theater Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands and the Haydn Youth String Orchestra. In addition, as a freelance orchestral musician, Arjan has substituted with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (timpani), RCO Brass (timpani), Ballet Orchestra (percussion) and various other orchestras and is associated as a timpanist with the Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht.

During his studies he has won many awards including 1st price during the National Finals of the Prinses Christina Concours in The Hague, the KPMG Pressprize, the Rubens Kwartet Prize, the Accelerando Classic Award and the jury and audience prize at the Haydn Music Festival 2007 in Groningen. Arjan is a member of the Colori Ensemble and with this ensemble he could be heard on the Dutch radio and seen on the Dutch television show ‘Vrije Geluiden’. The Colori Ensemble has been performing concerts throughout the Netherlands including venues like the Recital Hall and Mirror Hall of the Concertgebouw. Arjan is a teacher at the Percussion Friends-Sweelinck Academy at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (online) he gave lessons and recitals during the International Marimba Summer Camp of Theodor Milkov in Greece and was teaching during the Percussion Friends Chamber Music Academy in 2017, 2018 and 2020 (online).

Arjan plays a Yamaha YM-5100 marimba, which has been made possible by the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund and Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, with specialization marimba and timpani, at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Arjan Jongsma is a Yamaha Artist.

Booklet for New Perspectives for Marimba