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Reviews

Epigrams for Orchestra for the CBC

The Globe and Mail, John Kragland

 

"Four Epigrams for Orchestra conducted by the Toronto Symphony under the baton of Walter Susskind, is in effect a theme and variations built around the melodic theme of London's Big Ben.  It's presence was clearly felt throughout the piece, albeit in fragments, inversions or rythmic variations and it returned with remarkable clarity during the final bars.  Van Dijk has coped well with the task posed to write a piece that would appeal to young people, using strong rythmic content and shifting rythms, and wide use of tone colours.  He has been pleasantly successful at the same time maintaining the listener's interest.  The CBC may find works of this sort more advantageous than potboilers such as Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Overture which shared the program.

 

 

Fort Wayne News Sentinal, Usa- Herbert Neucherlein

 

"Epigrams for Orchestra is an exciting, concise and well knit composition.  After numerous melodic and rythmic and coloristic changes the theme shines forth gloriously in the brass"

 

 

Music Festival, Vlaanderen,Holland Jos Verpoorten

 

"Violinist Robert Szreder gave a penetrating performance of this interesting opus.  Especially the melodic second movement is very impressive.  Though the Orchestra played excellently, the tension in the playing of this complicated score was apparent.

 

 

Angika Dance Co. in Triple Hymn      British Art Council, London, UK

Music Rudi Martinus van Dijk

 

Those who made the journey for this evening were rewarded with a richly textured and vibrant duet, set to a stunning musical score (by the Dutch Canadian composer Rudi Martinus van Dijk).  His score for Cello, Soprano and Midrangam, although quite evocative in its own right, lent great depth and texture to the work.  The score was rythmically challenging and dynamically diverse.  The result with the dance was a remarkable synthesis in artistic and cultural terms.  A powerful experience and one that deserves a wide audience.

 

Toronto Daily Star

Ralph Thomas

 

Most satisfying in the program was the Concertante for flute and string orchestra, a specially commissioned piece by the Composer Rudi van Dijk.  The Orchestra showed fine ensemble playing in the beautiful and interesting Concertante in which the playing of Robert Aitken was a great treat.

 

The haunting passages for flute and harp , and flute and violin were of a bewitching charm.  The combination of cymbals , flute and strings made the initial slow development mysterious and dramatic.  The different moods of the piece are subtly integrated and the transition from section to section was easily realized.

 

Comments:

 

Opera Singer Baritone Victor Braun in interniew:

 

"I commissioned Rudi Martinus van Dijk to compose Four Lieder for Baritone and full Orchestra.  It is not my opinion alone that Mr. van Dijk is a creative artist of especially high quality and calibre".

 

The Flautist Jean Pierre Rampal about the Concertante for Flute and Strings:

 

" C'est une oeuvre très bien construite et remarqueblement écrite pour la flute".

 

 

National Film Board of Canada:

 

" Rudi van Dijk demonstrates imaginative and musical abilities most admirably".

 

Review London Arts re: Triple Hymn:

 

The most interesting and valuable aspect of this work was the music of Rudi van Dijk and the relationship between the dance and the music.  I felt this was a well developed work, which was very interesting both formally and from the point of performance, energy and expression.  The work plays evidently on a cross cultural edge, which discovers valuable territory.

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