Dina Appeldoorn facts for kids

Christina Adriana Arendina (Dina) Koudijs-Appeldoorn (born December 26, 1884, in Rotterdam, Netherlands – died December 4, 1938, in The Hague) was a Dutch composer and pianist. She wrote music in the Romantic style. Her famous works include the symphonic poems Noordzee-symfonie and Volkfeest. Dina also liked writing "programme music." This type of music tells a story or describes something, like her four-part suite Woudsproke.

Dina Appeldoorn wrote energetic music for amateur singers and choirs. She often used simple, clear melodies. The words in her songs were usually set syllable by syllable. However, her music for instruments was often more complex. It had interesting harmonies and sometimes used sounds that clashed a bit. This helped to bring the text to life, like in her piece Frissche bloemen.

About Dina Appeldoorn

Dina Appeldoorn studied music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. She learned how to compose music from F.E.A. Koeberg. Later, she studied with Johan Wagenaar, who became a close friend. She often asked him for advice throughout her life. Dina finished her studies in 1910. By then, twenty of her songs had already been published.

Early on, music critics had different opinions about her work. Some pieces, like Frissche bloemen, received good reviews. Later, Appeldoorn became a piano teacher at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

After her studies, Dina started as a piano player for choirs in The Hague. But she felt more drawn to writing her own music. Many of her first songs were performed by a group she started. This group included the singer Lena van Diggelen. Other singers, like Julie de Stuers, also performed her music. Stuers even gave concerts outside the Netherlands featuring Dutch composers. Appeldoorn dedicated her Vondel-liederen to Stuers.

Her first major orchestral work was Pêcheurs d’Islande. The Utrecht City Orchestra performed it for the first time in 1912. In 1923, one of her compositions won an award. This was Jubileum-lied, which she wrote for Queen Wilhelmina's 25th anniversary. In 1925, the Utrecht City Orchestra also premiered her Noordzee-symfonie.

During the 1920s, Appeldoorn wrote many choir pieces. These were for popular community singing events in The Hague. Some of her choir works were also performed by Die Haghe Sanghers in the 1930s. An example is Het Zwervers’ Lied. In 1934, Eduard Flipse became a fan of her music. He was the conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He helped promote her work, and his orchestra performed her piece Blijspel-ouverture.

In the 1930s, Appeldoorn also became involved with the Esperanto movement. Esperanto is a language created to be easy for people from different countries to learn. She wrote many songs in this language. Dina Appeldoorn was also known for writing patriotic music. These were pieces that showed love for her country, like the Hollansche Overture and Loflied aan Nederland.

Selected Works

Symphonies

• Symphony no.1 (Meisymfonie) (1915)
• Symphony no.2 (1916)
• Noordzee-symfonie (1924)

Other Orchestral Pieces

• Scherzo (1909)
• Dance (1912)
• Pêcheurs d’Islande (1912)
• Woudsproke (1915)
• Hollandsche Overture (1917)
• Adeste, fidelis (1918)
• Carnaval (1919)
• Natuursuite (1919)
• Blijspel-oeverture (1934)
• Pastorale (1934)
• Serenade (1936)

Vocal Works

• Frissche bloemen (6 songs) (1909)
• 2 Hollandsche Liederen (1911)
• Omhoog (1912)
• Loflied aan Nederland (1922)
• Jubileum-lied (1923)
• De lente luwt (1923)
• 3 liederen (1925)
• 6 kantoj (1931)
• Julianalied (1936)
• Het Zwerver’s Lied (1936)
• De kalkoen (1938)

Chamber and Solo Instrument Music

• 2 Hollandse Dansen (1920)
• Divertissemento (1921)
• Serenade (1922)
• Haagssch liedje (1925)
• Sonatine (1925)
• 2 Preludes (1932)
• String Quartet in B flat (1932)

Children's Operetta

• Duinsprookje (1927)