Bernard Zweers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernard Zweers
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 18 May 1854 |
| Died | 9 December 1924 (aged 70) Amsterdam
|
Bernard Zweers (born Bernardus Josephus Wilhelmus Zweers) was a famous Dutch composer and music teacher. He was born in Amsterdam on May 18, 1854, and passed away there on December 9, 1924.
Contents
Bernard Zweers' Early Life
Bernard Zweers grew up in Amsterdam. His father owned a shop that sold books and music, and he also tuned pianos. Even though his father enjoyed singing, he didn't want Bernard to become a musician. He hoped Bernard would take over the family business instead.
Bernard mostly taught himself music. He had some small successes with his music, which eventually convinced his parents. In 1881, they allowed him to study with Salomon Jadassohn in Leipzig, Germany, until 1883.
Discovering Wagner's Music
A very important moment for Bernard was when he first heard the music of Richard Wagner. In 1881, he went to Berlin to see the first performance of Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen. He later said:
I, who never ventured farther than Nijmegen and who had never heard even a normal opera before, I was in Berlin, listening to Wagner's Ring! ... and I returned a full-blooded Wagnerian.
This experience deeply changed his musical ideas.
Becoming a Music Teacher
After his studies, Bernard Zweers became very active in Dutch music. He led different choirs. However, his hearing started to get worse, and he wanted to focus more on teaching. So, he stopped most of his conducting jobs.
From 1895 to 1922, he was the head of teaching and composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He was different from other teachers because he let his students develop their own musical style. He didn't force them to compose like him. Because of this, he became a very respected teacher for many young Dutch composers.
Zweers' Sense of Humor
Bernard Zweers was also known for his great sense of humor. Once, at a meeting of musicians, his Second Symphony was going to be played. Another composer, Huyschenruyter, told Zweers how much he liked his symphony after a rehearsal. Zweers paused and then said, "Sir, I have not heard your overture, but I am certain that my symphony is on a higher level." Huyschenruyter was surprised by this seemingly arrogant comment. But then Zweers burst out laughing and explained, "Of course, because your overture is in D, and my symphony is written in E flat!" He was making a joke about musical keys, as E flat is a higher note than D.
Bernard Zweers' Compositions
Bernard Zweers was known for his love of his home country, the Netherlands. He often used Dutch themes in his music. For example, his songs always used Dutch words. His music was often inspired by Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Dutch writers like Vondel, and beautiful Dutch landscapes. He believed that art would only truly connect with people if it used their own language and culture.
However, his music also showed influences from Germany. His Second Symphony sounded a bit like Wagner's music. His Third Symphony was so long that some people called him 'the Dutch Bruckner', referring to another long-symphony composer.
The Famous Third Symphony
Zweers' Third Symphony (written between 1887 and 1889) became his most famous work. It was a very long piece, so it wasn't performed very often, and publishing it was expensive. But it was, and still is, seen as a very important step in the history of Dutch music. It mixed traditional Dutch folk tunes with beautiful musical descriptions of the Dutch countryside. Because of this, it was often used as an example of truly 'Dutch' music.
