THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Kees Olthuis
Biography
Kees Olthuis (1940–2019) was a Dutch bassoonist and composer whose music combined a performer's understanding of instrumental writing with a strong sense of colour and narrative. Born in Amsterdam, he studied bassoon and piano at the city's conservatory and became a bassoonist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He was also active for many years with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and Amsterdam Nonet, and taught ensemble playing at the Sweelinck Conservatory.
Olthuis composed orchestral and chamber works as well as operas and music theatre. His stage works included De Gans, the children's opera De naam van de maan and Het hemelse fagotje, for two actors, bassoon and piano. His musical language reflected an affinity with early twentieth-century composers including Ravel and Shostakovich, while remaining concerned with direct communication and clear instrumental character. His music is represented by Donemus.
Why this music interests us
Olthuis is especially interesting to Resonance because the bassoon was central to both his performing life and his compositional imagination. Introduktie en Allegro (2006) places bassoon and contrabassoon alongside a string quintet in a substantial seven-player chamber work. Rather than treating the contrabassoon simply as a source of depth, Olthuis gives both double reeds an independent musical presence. This is precisely the kind of distinctive, insufficiently familiar repertoire Resonance seeks to champion. His later Concertino for contrabassoon and string quintet offers a fascinating companion work.
Selected works & listening
Introduktie en Allegro (2006; bassoon, contrabassoon and string quintet); Concertino (2014; contrabassoon and string quintet); Het hemelse fagotje; De Gans; De naam van de maan
Further information