About Rembrandt
About Rembrandt
By Rembandt :
My earliest memories to music are the psalms and hymns which I liked very much too, to sing {in Dutch} on the protestant/denominational/primary schools in Utrecht – The Netherlands. And … South American music: Los Paraquajos: singing, harp and guitars. My parents – my sister silvya and me too were listening to music like: La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi , waltzes by Johann Strauss, piano music by Franz Liszt and Tango music by Malando.
When I was fourtheen, I was singing – accompaning myself on a steelstring guitar – songs of Pat Boone: Love letters in the sand, Remember your mind. Cliff Richard: Living doll. The Everly Brothers: Bird Dog, All I have to do is dream, together with my niece Elly Cirkel: singing first and second voice.
A classmate on the high school in Nijmegen – The Netherlands – wanted to take lessons from me, to learn accompaning himself on guitar while singing songs. His elder brother ‘played quite good on the guitar, but such a dull classical music on it’. In the meantime I had a Classical or Spanish guitar : two names for one instrument with nylon strings. This classmate took lessons from me and I… in the same period… took lessons by : his elder brother! This so called ‘dull’music was a.o. the preludes by Heitor Villa – Lobos… A new music world was opend for me! I was sixtheen.
I continued singing but less , I spend more time in playing classical guitar. My first on notes written composition for guitar-‘they called it Bossa Nova in a local paper in Utrecht- did I play in fact in the rhytm of the Brazilian Samba. The name Samba did I hear later, than the rhytm of it…
On my final exam for guitar at the ‘Utrechts Conservatorium’ -mainsubject teacher for guitar Dick Visser – was a composition of mine on the examination program; not quite useful at that time: 1974. How my composition ‘Dimorf’ {2 characters} came on this examination program, is written in the third couplet of my poem for Dick Visser. Translating this couplet [Dutch to English] would force the quality of this couplet of the poem { 4 couplets }. So I’ll decribe it: “On your examination list – Rembrandt – has to be a Dutch composer’. Yes Dick, I have already prepared a composition of mine for that list. Dick, looking at me : are you mad? After one week I play this ‘Dimorf’ for him. He said: okay, play this too, for the board of examiners. And so I did. Besides performing ‘Dimorf’ solo on the
guitar, I am playing it as a transition from this third couplet to the last one about Dick Visser and me. In that case I am performing the whole Poem: Dick – Dimorf – Dick.
After continuing playing in ensemble, duo , solo, making poetry, composing and singing , came into existence gradually the need to express different disciplines: singing solo; playing solo, singing with accompaniment; Saying poetry; rapping poetry in one theme. And to make a program with more of those themes.
For instance: the theme Barock music: I am singing solo an Arietta by Allessandro Scarlatti [ 1660 – 1725 } and I continue playing solo on the guitar a Sonata by his son Domenico Scarlatti {1685 – 1757 } After that music, on guitar too: of the Irish composer and harper Turlough O’ Carolan {1670 – 1738 ] Fanny Power : with influences of Irish and Italian music! O’ Carolan loved the music by Antonio Vivaldi {1678 – 1741 } and O’Carolan played together with the Italian composer and violinist Francesco Geminiani {1689 – 1741 } I continue with an Irish song – composer and lyricist unknown – but the melody and words [ about 1719 } are referring to times in which above-mentioned composers and lyricists were living.
For instance: the theme : Mother: My Mother heard as a young girl ‘Ständchen – from Schwanengesang – by Franz schubert – for the first time on the piano by her older sister. Much later by me on the guitar.This music a.o. had a special place in my Mother’s heart. My Mother was a passionated photographer – did it well too – and Iam expressing this in my rappoetry –dedicated to her. My Mother liked very much dancing Tango’s , also when there was no man at all… In the second world war – my father was gone into hiding – my Mother dressed as a gentleman – in jacket – and wearing a high silk hat, was dancing { fortunately I have stil the picture of that! } the steps for the man in the Argentin tango f.i. La Cumparsita with: her girlfriend! In the theme: Mother , I’m playing La Cumparsita on the guitar. My mother loved very much to hear my singing, f.i. Manifiesto by Victor Jara {1937 -1973 } I also connect different disciplines, emotions , styles in one theme like: Child; Dance; Resistance; Present and Past.
Rembrandt Gerlach