Research Christian Blaha
PhD-research project on the Association Youth & Music Zeeland (Jeugd en Muziek Zeeland- J&MZ)/ New Music Zeeland Foundation (Nieuwe Muziek Zeeland - NMZ)
In Blaha’s exiting PhD-dissertation titled “What is possible in Middelburg, is just not possible” the impressive historical curve of the equallyfamous, as well as notorious, association Youth & Music Zeeland (J&MZ)/ Foundation New Music Zeeland (NMZ) is documented and described for the very first time.
Blaha colourfully paints a picture of J&MZ/NMZ and the role they played as Dutch bridgehead of international Avant-Garde art from the end of the 1960s until the end of the1980s.
From the late 1960s onwards, the Dutch province of Zeeland’s capital Middelburg was to become the Dutch bridgehead of international avant-garde art. The city would hold this unique position for about two decades.
Directly responsible for was the equally famous and notorious association Youth & Music Zeeland (Jeugd en Muziek Zeeland- J&MZ)/ New Music Zeeland Foundation (Nieuwe Muziek Zeeland - NMZ) with her nonconformistic creed: ´We pick up everything another does not´.
Anno 2019, exactly fifty years later, the merits of J&MZ/NMZ - several decades focal point of the national and international media, with it's indisputed highlight the Festival New Music (Festival Nieuwe Muziek) and the creation of the worldfamous Xenakis Ensemble - have not been recognised as (Zeeland's) cultural heritage, but have rather disappeared from the collective memory.
A bizarre observation, which was the direct reason for this study, which examined the question of how avant-garde art was able to manifest itself in such an exuberant way, particularly in the years 1969-1989, precisely in what at the time was considered a dormant and remote provincial town within the Dutch cultural world.
A town where for instance the artwork of international figureheads Iannis Xenakis, György Kurtag and Morton Feldman received it's broad Dutch introduction and where prominents like Louis Andriessen, Willem Breuker and Leo Cuypers with their newest creations - such as the legendary and laurelled commissioned work Zeeland Suite - felt at home.
This dissertation 'What is possible in Middelburg, is not possible' presents the impressive historical curve of J&MZ/NMZ, guided by extensive lively photographic material as a compelling triptych.
Hence the years of enormous creativity of ´The Middelburg Miracle´ J&MZ/NMZ from the period 1969-1989 deserve to be kept in grateful and lively memory, partly in order to inspire future generations.
The worldfamous Dutch ensemble “De Volharding” from Louis Andriessen at “Festival Muziek op Straat” (1973, Flushing).
Andriessen: ‘De Volharding consisted of ten stubborn topmusicians, each from a completely different musical background. While rehearsing it took me for instance every time at least ten seconds of loud screaming until they would stop playing. It can never be worse then De Volharding. They where wolves.’
photo: Wim Riemens
Two main figures of 20th century avant-garde music, regulars in Middelburg (1986 Kloveniersdoelen): Morton Feldman (left) and Iannis Xenakis.
Xenakis: ‘I was amazed by the fact that with so few notes you can produce that comprehension of things. I felt like a child because I write so many notes.’
Feldman: ‘‘I felt like a child because I write so few notes. Half of the alphabet is not there…’
photo: Wim Riemens
John Cage completely at ease in Middelburg (1988): ‘I can feed the whole army from nature’.
photo: Wim Riemens
WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN MIDDELBURG, IS NOT POSSIBLE/
WAT IN MIDDELBURG KAN, KAN NIET
Forgotten Dutch music history revived:
My dissertation about the avant-garde of Middelburg (1969-1989) with her unadulterared international appearance: 'What is possible in Middelburg, is not possible' - Youth and Music/ New Music Zeeland Foundation.
Watch the whole interview (in Dutch): • Christian Blaha ...
More info at: https://wijzijndestad.com/verhalen/ch...