Hendrik Andriessen

Hendrik Andriessen (September 17, 1892, Haarlem - April 12, 1981, Haarlem) was a Dutch composer and organist. He is remembered most of all for his improvisation at the organ and for the renewal of Catholic liturgical music in the Netherlands. Andriessen composed in a musical idiom that revealed strong French influences. He was the brother of pianist and composer Willem Andriessen and the father of the composers Jurriaan Andriessen and Louis Andriessen.

Andriessen studied composition with Bernard Zweers and organ with Jean-Baptiste de Pauw at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. As the organist at Utrecht Cathedral, he became well-known for his improvisation abilities. From 1926 to 1954, he lectured in composition and music theory at the Amsterdam Conservatory while also teaching at the Institute for Catholic Church Music in Utrecht between 1930 and 1949. He was the director of the Utrecht Conservatory from 1937 to 1949 and subsequently switched to the same post at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, which he held until 1957. Between 1952 and 1962, he was appointed an Extraordinary Professor of the Catholic University of Nijmegen.

Andriessen's works included, besides eight masses, a setting of the Te Deum, four symphonies, variations for orchestra, lieder for voice and orchestra, chamber music, sonatas for cello and for piano, and works for solo organ.

Works

Orchestra

*4 symphonies (1930-54)
*Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Johann Kuhnau, for string orchestra (1935)
*Concerto for Organ and Orchestra (1950)
*Symphonic Etude (1952)

Wind orchestra

*"Ricercare" (1977)

Chamber

*"Quartetto in stile antico" for String Quartet (1957)
*Sonatina in One Movement for Viola and Piano (1924)
*Sonata for Viola and Piano (1967)

Organ

*Sinfonia (1939)

Opera

*"Philomela" (1950), in 3 acts
*"Der Spiegel von Venedig" (1964), chamber opera in 1 act

Choir

*"Missa in honorem Sacratissimi Cordis", with organ (1919)
*"Missa Simplex", acappella (1928)
*"Missa diatonica" (1935)
*"Magnificat", with organ (1936)
*"Missa solemnis", with organ (1946)
*"Te Deum", with orchestra (1968)

Lieder

*"Magna res est amor" (1919)
*"Miroir de peine" (1923)
*"Trois pastorales" (1935)

Books and other writings

*"César Franck" (1941)
*"Over muziek" (1950)
*"Muziek en muzikaliteit" (1952)