Interstices (2019 – 2020) is a composition for spoken voice, surrounded by electronic music. The text entails the impact of our present society on the individual, and the (im)possibility of escaping it. The music gives its commentaries, using a world of contemporary sounds.
The text is written by Bruno Allain, an author, actor and visual artist who lives and works in Paris. https://brunoallain.blogspot.com
The pianotrio (2017 – 2018) was written for Duco Burgers’ final piano exam, at the 21th of juni, 2018, at the Utrecht Conservatory. Sheet music available by Donemus https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/19875
‘Ten’ (2015 – 2016) is a virtuoso harp composition, dedicated to Anneleen Schuitemaker. Sheet music available by https://webshop.donemus.com/action/front/sheetmusic/19876
“Pastiche” for bass clarinet & tape (1992-94) is the first piece by Simon Burgers with electronic sounds. It has been played worldwide. Bart Schneemann made an arrangement for hobo & tape, Hubert-Jan Hubeek for alto saxophone & tape. Choreographer Thom Stuart made a ballet on it, video artist Jan Peter van der Wenden created an animation movie , see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5daMfebGigA
Sheet music + cd available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/8617
Feest in de gele maisvelden was commisioned by the Dutch Woodwind Ensemble. It had its première at the New Years Concert, Januar the 1st, 2004 in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Theme of the concert was ‘Mommy’.
The title of the work can be explained by the two following elements. (1) In the piece, a motiv is woven that was song in the childhood of the composer by his mother on the words Day after day in the fields of yellow corn (part of and old song of American slaves). (2) in the piece a theme is quoted from Fêtes by Claude Debussy.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/10986
Spring Is Forgetting Us (1999) is a composition for a rapper + tape. In the piece, parts of Chopins prelude in b flat minor are woven. The text is a collection of quotes from letters by Chopin to and about his mistress, the writer George Sand.
The Dutch Woodwind Ensemble put the piece central during its New Year Concert 2001 in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. For that occasion, the piece was arranged in several ways. The concert (and related cd) were entitled Le printemps nous oublie.
In the audio version below (1999) the rap was performed by Dirk Hamaker.
Spin off was written in 1998 for the Dutch Woodwind Ensemble. A special version of ten minutes was made for a musical cross over night in the Concertgebouw, whose big hall had been transformed to a dance floor. Classical musicians performed alternately with dj’s.
The NBE gave the premiere of a concert version of five minutes during her New Year Concert, first of januar, 1999. NRC-Handelsblad wrote about this piece: “Aggressif noise, that doesn’t give a hopeful image of present and future “.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/10074
Chrysoliet (1981) is a composition for piano solo. De title is rather associative and refers to the cool beauty of the world of minerals. The piece can be seen as an attempt to translate this cool stringent beauty in a musical way.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/21
Message is a composition for piano & tape. It was written in 1994 on demand of pianist Ananda Sukarlan.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/8750
In Bach 2000 were woven more than hundred themes and motives of J.S. Bach. It was composed in the year 2000, two hundred fifty years after Bachs dead. It was a commission by the Dutch Woodwind Ensemble for a project with high school children. The piece has been performed three times: with children in Eindhoven, Enschede and Groningen.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/9766
Martialis Epigrammata, on texts by the Roman poet Martialis (c. 40 -104 AD) is a cycle of six songs.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/5234
Synthese is a work for large symphony orchestra. It was written for the VU Orchestra, that premiered the work in 1983 under Daan Admiraal at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. The work was revisited in 1987.
Score available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/4000
The Concerto for Alto Saxophone & Wind Ensemble (1986) has been performed by several Wind Ensembles in the Netherlands and abroad, with among others Arno Bornkamp as soloist.
For sheet music (and for information about the stringent note systeem that was designed for this composition), see Donsmus: https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/4645
In De Jabberglop (1988) Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky (English version or Dutch translation) is performed with musical support of the two instruments.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/4862
Torenval is a music theatre production. written for amateurs in Westzaan. The piece relates the catastrophic collapse of the tower of the church in the year 1843. The piece was performed five times in the big church at Westzaan.
As the music was especcially written for this theatre production, it isn’t apt for autonomous performance. An exceptions is the part Dies Irae for mixed choir and brass instruments (or piano reduction), that can be performed separatedly.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/6340
Windkracht is a music theater production from 2006 – 2007. It was a solo performance by and about trumpet player André Heuvelman, directed by Cherry Duyns; Marc Felperlaan and Igor Lesic created videos. The music for the play was composed and/or arranged by Simon Burgers: compositions for trumpet &t ape as well for trumpet solo, for tape and for voice & tape (a rap). Windkracht has been performed often, for instance in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht..
Three of its compositions for trumpet & tape are available by Donemus: the March, the Tango and the Blues. These can be performed autonomously. See https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/13058
Nana, an arrangement of a song by De Falla, for trumpet & tape, can be found on this site here.
Taptoe was written in 1996 for the Koor Nieuwe Muziek on demand of Huub Kerstens. The text is the poem Nachtelijke optocht (‘Nightly Procession’) by the Flemish poet Paul van Ostaijen.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/9102
Senza Pedale is a short composition, commissioned by the Dutch Harp Federation. It was the mandatory work during the Rosa Spier Harpconcours in 2011. In the whole piece the position of the pedals is the same, hence the title.
Sheet music available by Donemus, https://webshop.donemus.nl/action/front/sheetmusic/12440