Spraakmakers: Georgina Verbaan & Jan Decleir over angst en erfelijk koningschap

Hereditary kingship and fear

In Hereditary Kingship, Belgian star actor Jan Decleir presents a thought-provoking story about the most common type of monarchy, guided by Beethoven's sonata Les Adieux , performed by Hannes Minnaar. Is it not time to reconsider hereditary kingship, a late medieval concept? Georgina Verbaan dives deep into the subject of fear. One in four adults suffers from an anxiety disorder. Is the Netherlands becoming increasingly fearful? Fear seems to be an increasingly inseparable part of the hectic, performance-oriented life of the twenty-first century. What Remains by Joey Roukens, performed by the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, forms the musical foundation of Verbaan's story.

Beethoven: Les Adieux & Roukens: What Remains

'Upon the departure of His Majesty the revered Archduke Rudolph,' wrote Beethoven in the score of his Piano Sonata No. 26. The Archduke, who had to leave Vienna when Napoleon occupied the city in 1809, was one of Beethoven's most important patrons. The sonata has characteristics of program music; the 'Lebewohl' motif and the rattling wheels of Rudolph's carriage are omnipresent. What Remains is the fourth string quartet by the Dutch composer Joey Roukens. This work, written for the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, feels like a swirling rollercoaster due to sounds and textures in which fear also resonates. With this string quartet, the story of being afraid, and facing it, acquires a special expressive power. And a salutary effect, for for those who did not yet know: classical music lowers the heart rate, blood pressure, and the stress hormone cortisol.