solo
Willem Mook performs on a variety of lutes and its Spanish equivalent the vihuela de mano. He has specialized in the field of Renaissance polyphony, in which the vocal contrapuntal aspect predominates. Also the music of the early Baroque period has an important place in his repertoire. His current solo repertoire comprises the music from the period 1450-1650.
basso continuo
Thorough bass accompaniment is an ever important part of his work as a performer. Willem Mook is a regularly invited guest player with ensembles such as Quink Vokaal Ensemble, Capella Isalana and the Haarlem Bach Ensemble. He has frequently performed in oratoria such as Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine and J.S.Bach’s Johannes Passion.
with the Calmus Ensemble (Leipzig) and Jacob Heringman (UK)
Inspired by their performance in Middelburg in July 2009, Willem Mook has composed a concert program devoted to the works of Josquin des Prez for the combination of a 5-voice vocal ensemble and a duo of vihuela de mano players.
With this program, titled Josquin - der Noten Meister, Calmus will celebrate her 10-year predilection for Josquin's compositions. The program presents a variety of both sacred and secular works. While the nucleus of the repertoire is well represented, room is made for less known works as well, and even a recently rediscovered motet is highlighted! As well as providing variety, a selection of arrangements of Josquin's works for two unequal vihuela's opens a rare look into a brilliant and relatively unknown repertoire.
This program is staged for the autumn of 2010. A registration will be brought out on CD in 2011, after which the production will appear in various festivals and concertvenues.
Erika Esslinger Konzertagentur
from Stuttgart (D) is in charge of the management of this project.
For bookings and information: YueJin@Konzertagentur.de
For detailed musical information: info@willemmook.com
See also: Calmus Ensemble en Jacob Heringman
Harry van Berne (tenor)
Willem`s collaboration with Harry van Berne (tenor) dates from 1982. Their repertoire comprises Italian frottole and madrigals, Spanish villancicos, French airs de cours and English lutesongs.
With the ensemble ‘Resolut’ they performed in Germany, Switzerland and in the Early Music Network in the Netherlands. Together with Quink Vokaal Ensemble, in which Harry van Berne has a leading role, Willem Mook performed programs around i.a. Juan Vasquez and Claudio Monteverdi.
In 2006 they recorded the CD Proba me Deus, together with Jasper Schweppe (baritone) and Margo Fontijne (viol). This album contains music by Constantine Huygens (1596-1687) and contemporaries.
Their most recent program is devoted to lutesongs by John Dowland.
Paulien van der Werff (soprano)
Their repertoire comprises i.a. Spanish vihuela songs, French airs de cours, and songs by Henry Purcell. They are especially renowned for their interpretation of the psalms by Constanstine Huygens and Nicolas Vallet.
poetry and lute music with Peter Adema
Since 2002 Willem Mook and Peter Adema form an extraordinary and successful duo. With their carefully tuned combination of music and poetry they bring to life the vitality and emotional richness of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Their four programs have poetical love as their common theme: Siet den dagh komt aen (with poetry by Hooft, Bredero and Huygens), Amor (with i.a. Dante, Petrarca and Michelangelo), Amour à la cour et à Lyon (with i.a. Marot, Scève and Labé), Lacking my Love (with i.a. Spencer, Shakespeare and Donne).
The duo is currently developing a new program around Dante Alighieri.
Quadrivium - ensemble for late medieval music
Ensemble Quadrivium concentrates on music from the period 1350-1500. Its members are: Ellen Delahanty (voice), Geert van Gele (recorder, organetto), William Taylor (bray harp, psaltery) and Willem Mook (plectrum played medieval lute).
Their CD Le cause est amer has recently been brought out, containing Burgundian court music from Guillaume Dufay’s time and contemporary compositions based on ancient Japanese Waka poetry, especially composed for Quadrivium by the Belgian composer JanPieter Biesemans.
Another recent program of theirs is Der Teufel hat das spiel erdacht, with music from decks of old German playing cards, which was broadcasted live Radio Klara and is staged in the Galway Early Music Festival May 2010.
Quadrivium's new program Flemings in Spain with works of i.a. Ockeghem, Cornago and Agricola is staged for the autumn of 2010. Read more on the website of Ensemble Quadrivium.
ensemble Voix & Cordes
This young German/Dutch ensemble with Annegret Kleindopf (soprano), Susanne Seitz (viol) and Willem Mook (lute) has been successful with their program Time stands still on men's vanity, with music from the Elizabethan and Jacobean court.
For the program The noble famous queen, with Elizabethan consort music and lutesongs, the ensemble is extended with the viol players Margo Fontijne, Claas Harders and Heike Hümmer.
Their current program Du bist aller Dinge schön is devoted to the Song of Songs composed 1400-1620, with works of i.a. Dunstable, Isaac, Franck, Monteverdi and Grandi.
lute tuition
luteworkshop for children, HIFA Harare 2008
Since 1980 Willem Mook has been active as a lute teacher in his residence Haarlem and in Deventer. He is known as a skilled and devoted teacher with an extensive class of students. The level varies from beginning luteplayer to qualified professional. Many of his students are active in early music and/or have found the way to the stage.
For new-coming students Willem Mook has available a number of lutes – for adults as well as for children. Currently he teaches some twentyfive regular lute students, in Haarlem and Deventer.
ensemble coaching
Together with soprano and singing teacher Lida Dekkers, Willem Mook has organized a series of annual weekends (see photo) for practising in ensembles, especially for singers and players of the lute and the viol. As a consequence he regularly coaches ensembles for Renaissance and Baroque music.
Willem Mook is director of two vocal chamber ensembles in Haarlem, consisting of advanced amateur singers. The Arcadelt Ensemble (left photo) consists of sixteen singers SATB and concentrates on polyphonic repertoire of the 16th century.
The Camusette Consort (right photo) counts six solo singers together with a lute and a viol. This ensemble currently specializes on music by Josquin des Prez and contemporaries.
Outside Haarlem, Willem Mook coaches a number of early music groupes, among which the ensembles Con piacere and Florans.
Willem Mook is regularly invited to lecture on the lute and lute music.
In the RASA International Lute Festival Utrecht 1994 he lectured on the organology of the European lute as a descendent of the Arabian lute.
In Museum Scryption of Tilburg he provided an introduction to the exhibition on tablature notations for the lute and vihuela de mano.
Also Willem Mook introduces the lute and its
music to classes of children in elementary
and secondary schools.
his presentations with powerpoint slide shows.
- Proceedings of the International Lute Symposium, Utrecht 1986 (ed. Willem Mook en Louis P. Grijp, StiMu, Nederlandse Luitvereniging, 1987), including the contribution Lute Tuition: some general Aspects.
- The Arrangements for Lute and Vihuela de mano of the Motet Benedicta es Caelorum Regina by Josquin des Prez (2 vols.): Master thesis of musicology, State University of Utrecht 1993.
- Tabula Rasa, column on playing techniques for the Renaissance lute, in De Tabulatuur – magazine of the Nederlandse Luitvereniging (1999 to present).
- “Letter- en grepenschrift – tabulatuurnotatie voor luit”, contribution to Muziek Op Schrift – de wereld van de muzieknotatie (Scryption, 2005);
- “Constantine Huygens – a life moved by music”, in the textbook to the CD Proba me Deus – Music by Constantine Huygens and contemporaries (SP 0601, Stichting Spaarne Muziek, 2006).
- Vocal reconstitution of the motet Obsecro te domina (à 5) by Josquin des Prez, in: New Josquin Edition vol. 24, Motets on Non-Biblical Texts, Vol.4: De beata Maria virgine 2, Kon. Ver. voor Nederlanse Muziekgeschiedenis January 2008.
Quadrivium CD "La cause est amer "
In 2009 the CD " La Cause est Amer – Medieval Love Poems from Japan
and the Low Countries” was brought out by Quadrivium:
Ellen Delahanty (soprano),
Geert van Gele (recorder, organetto),
Bill Taylor (harp, psaltery),
Willem Mook (lutes).
The lutes played are a plectrum played 5-course lute, a 6-course alto-lute and a 7-course bass-lute. Harp and lutes are all strung in gut.
The illustrated booklet (16 pages, in English) contains both commentaries on the repertoire and translations of the songtexts. This album was produced by the new Belgian early music label Kattenberg.
This CD can be ordered per email: info@willemmook.com at the rate of 15 Euros including package and posting.
Listen to 3 extracts from this album.
In 2006 the CD “Proba me Deus – Music by Constantine Huygens and contemporaries” was brought out with the singers
Harry van Berne (tenor) and Jasper Schweppe (baritone) with the cooperation of Margo Fontijne (viol).
In its richly illustrated textbook (68 pages, in both Dutch and English) Willem Mook tells the story of the musical life of Huygens
as reflected in the recorded music.The album was issued by the Spaarne Muziek Foundation and has been received with international acclaim (see CD reviews).
Listen to 4 extracts from this album.
photography: Henze Boekhout
musicological advice
taking a close look at the Thysius Lute Book (c.1600)
As a free lance musicologist Willem Mook advises ensembles on choice of repertoire and programming.
He also writes commentary texts for CD albums.
□ ensembles
□ tuition, coaching
□ presentations
□ lectures
□ publications
□ Quadrivium cd
□ Huygens cd
□ musicological advise
newly released:
CD "La Cause est Amer"
- Medieval Love Poems
from Japan and the Low Countries
with Quadrivium:
Ellen Delahanty (soprano)
Geert van Gele (recorder, organetto)
Bill Taylor (harp, psaltery)
Willem Mook (lutes)
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