CAMERATA TRAJECTINA

Camerata Trajectina

Camerata Trajectina (Utrecht Camerata) devotes itself to Dutch music from the Middle Ages to the Golden Age. The group has earned a reputation as a guardian of Dutch cultural heritage. Intensive research into the cultural history of the Netherlands and the reconstruction of texts and music play an important role ...
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Members

Erik Beijer   percussie, viola da gamba
Saskia Coolen   blokfluit
Louis Peter Grijp   citer, luit
Nico van der Meel   tenor
Hieke Meppelink   sopraan

Former members

Suze van Grootel   sopraan
Sytse Buwalda   countertenor
Marcel Moester   bariton, bas
Annelies van der Vegt   viool
Pieter-Jan Belder   klavecimbel
Willem Schot   doedelzak
Marten Root   traverso
Bernard Loonen   tenor
Hans Wijers   bariton
Jasper Schweppe   bariton
Renate Arends   sopraan
Mariët Kaasschieter   sopraan
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Mentioned in the biography of

2000   Pieter-Jan Belder

Biography Camerata Trajectina

Camerata Trajectina (Utrecht Camerata) devotes itself to Dutch music from the Middle Ages to the Golden Age. The group has earned a reputation as a guardian of Dutch cultural heritage. Intensive research into the cultural history of the Netherlands and the reconstruction of texts and music play an important role in its projects. Camerata Trajectina is also known for the theatrical element of its presentations. It programmes have focussed on Dutch poets, painters and national celebrations as well as such themes as the dance of death and the 'Souterliedekens' [Psalm songs]. The ensemble performs regularly at the Holland Festival of Early Music in Utrecht and has given hundreds of concerts in the Netherlands and Flanders. It has toured the world, from Europe and North America to Ghana and Indonesia.

1974

Louis Peter Grijp plays the lute and zither in Camerata Trajectina since it is founded. He soon becomes its artistic director.

1980 - 1990

The ensemble experiments extensively with theatre, for example in the programmes 'De hoer van Babylon' [The Babylonian Whore, 1983], 'Willem van Oranje' [William of Orange, 1984], and 'Bredero Amsterdammer' [Bredero the Amsterdammer, 1985]. It works with actor and declaimer Henk van Ulsen in performances at Contantijn Huygen's self-designed country estate 'Hofwijck' (1987). 'De Dodendans' [The Dance of Death, 1989] is a music theatre piece (directed by Lodewijk de Boer).

1994

Camerata Trajectina presents P.C. Hooft's 1613 play 'Geeraerdt van Velsen' with original music at the Tesselschade Festijn in the Muiderslot castle in Muiden (directed by Jos Groenier).

1998

The ensemble provides musical context to the national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Peace of Münster (1648).

1999

Grijp and Nico van der Meel complete the reconstruction of the 'Maastrichts Liedboek' [Maastricht Songbook, 1554].

2002

Camerata puts the national celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Dutch East India Company (in 1602) into musical context.

2004

The double CD 'Antwerps Liedboek' [Antwerp Songbook] is released. The ensemble contributes substantially to the website 'Het geheugen van Nederland' [The Memory of the Netherlands]. With the Dutch artists Freek de Jonge and Bob Fosko, it records a CD of Dutch street songs: 'De kist van Pierlala'.

2005

The ensemble works with the poet and novelist Gerrit Komrij on a reconstruction of the secular songs of Jacob Obrecht. Of these "liedekens", only the first line of text has survived, along with the complete music. Taking this as a point of departure, Komrij writes new texts.

2006

The double CD 'Antwerps Liedboek' wins the Edison Classic award in the category Middle Ages and Renaissance. The ensemble performs the Dutch opera 'Bacchus, Ceres en Venus' (1686) by Johan Schenck. This is the second Dutch opera ever written and the first that was performed, but some of the music has been lost. Camerata Trajectina reconstructs the missing movements.

2009

Camerata Trajectina contributes to the festivities surrounding the Calvin year (500th birthday) and presents the CD 'Calvijn in de Gouden Eeuw' [Calvin in the Golden Age]. The music theatre production 'De zeven zonden van Jeroen Bosch' [The Seven Sins of Hieronymus Bosch, directed by Jos Groenier] is inspired by the artist's painting 'Table of the Mortal Sins', which depicts the seven mortal sins and Death, Judgement, Hell, and Glory. The production includes texts and an appearance by Komrij and the participation of the Flemish ensemble La Caccia.

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