Musicatlas
Music
- 1 Time — baritone, piano text Sonja Beets
- 2 nr. 1 Poème nr.1: Aarzeling — piano; nr. 2 Poème nr.2: Tegenspraak — piano; nr. 3 Poème nr.3: Ommekeer (Satori) — piano
- 3 Poème nr.4: Erkende schaduw — piano
- 4 Poème nr.5: Vogels in de Winter — piano
- 5 Seasons — string quarter, baritone (unfinished)
- 6 Euterpe 1 — cello, piano (unfinished)
- 7 nrs. 1–10 Kranacha ten miniatures for piano on a story by Bert Overbeek with optional voice to be enhanced with solo dance
- 8 Freedom — mixed choir, piano text Coleridge / Sonja Beets
- 9 nrs. 1–5 Mozart mon ami — mezzo soprano, piano text Roger Riblet Buchmann
- 10 Mijn klok — baritone, piano text Wijnand Steemers
- 11 Dag Edwin — baritone, piano text Eelco ten Have
- 12 Euterpe 2 — piano, harpsichord
- 13 Du bist wie eine Blume — mezzo soprano, cello, organ text Heinrich Heine
- 14 Das Fräulein stand am Meere — mezzo soprano, organ text Heinrich Heine
- 15 O dit geluk bij u te zijn — mezzo soprano, organ text Willem de Mérode
- 16 Tulpen — soprano, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 17 Rozen — soprano, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 18 Liefde, is er geen ander pad — baritone, cello, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 19 De stad — alt, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 20 Melancholia — baritone, cello text Willem de Mérode
- 21 De Dominee — mezzo soprano, baritone, cello, text Willem de Mérode harp, piano, churchbells
- 22 De Orgelspeler — mezzo soprano, organ text Willem de Mérode
- 23 De Pluk — soprano, harp text Willem de Mérode
- 24 Liedje — baritone, tenor, cello, harp text Willem de Mérode
- 25 Purusha — cello, piano
- 26 Fantasie — cello, harp
- 27 Muziek op Kerstmis — mezzo soprano, baritone, cello, organ, community text Willem de Mérode
- 28 Take all away from me — tenor, piano text Emily Dickinson
- 29 A Word — tenor, piano text Emily Dickinson
- 30 A Jewel — tenor, piano text Emily Dickinson
- 31 nr. 1 Meditatie voor Kerstavond — organ; nr. 2 text Albert Schweizer — soprano, baritone, cello
- 32 Klankdichtje — cello, piano
- 33 Het Kussen — baritone, cello, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 34 Uitzicht — baritone, cello text Willem de Mérode
- 35 De witte kater — baritone, cello, piano text Willem de Mérode
- 36 theme Heksen — voice, cello, piano, percussion: var. 1 text Sonja Beets; var. 2; var. 3
- 37 theme Regenboogje — voice, cello: var. 1 text Sonja Beets — violin, cello; var. 2 — violin, cello; var. 3 — voice, violin, cello
- 38 trio for violin, cello, piano — violin, cello, piano
- 39 De Argeloze chamber opera in three acts on a libretto by Tom Sol based on a story by Voltaire — lyrical soprano flute / piccolo mezzo soprano hobo / English horn lyrical baritone bassoon character tenor hurdy gurdy buffo-tenor violin character baritone cello bass-baritone double bass basso-buffo basso-profundo
- 40 nr. 1 The Soul — mezzo soprano, horn, cello, piano text Emily Dickinson; nr. 2 A wild blue Sky — mezzo soprano, horn text Emily Dickinson; nr. 3 The Wind — mezzo soprano, horn, cello, piano text Emily Dickinson
- 41 Dialogue pour Violoncelle seul — cello
- 42 Humoresque — bassoon, harp
- 43 High stands upon Deep — flute
- 44 Fantasie — harp, bassoon
- 45 To flee from Memory — mezzo soprano, horn text Emily Dickinson
- 46 Uurwerken — harp, piano
- 47 Fadenco — lute, cello
- 48 Elementen — flute, bassoon, horn
- 49 Had we the wings… — carillon
- 50 sonate — double bass, piano
Sonja Beets’ work is published with DMP in Antwerpen (www.dmp.be).
Life
Sonja Beets finished her studies as pianist and organ player in 1978 and 1979, respectively, at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. After her study she specialized in chamber music – especially in vocal music — with George van Renesse, Nelly Wagenaar and by taking part in master classes both in the Netherlands and abroad, i.e. with Györgi Sebök.
Furthermore she studied non-western philosophy, culture and music. While doing so she has learned to play an Indian bow-instrument — the Sarangi — in the dhrupad-style (oldest devote style).
Besides performing music she is active as a composer, painter and poet. A bundle of her poems was published on her own account and she has had several expositions of her paintings. She made a serious start in composing in 1989, stimulated to do so by Györgi Sebök, Martijn van den Hoek, Herman Ulhorn, Bernard Kruysen, Hans Zomer, Elly Ameling…
She likes to write compositions suited personally for the people that take part in her own ensemble “Purusha”, amongst whom are Hans Zomer, Joke de Vin, Harry van Berne and Didier Poskin. For this ensemble she created a variety of music, both instrumental and vocal.
After several years of teaching, performing and giving expositions Sonja Beets is now bringing these different disciplines into integration in herself and with others. She took the initiative to start the “Muzenstede” Foundation in 1997. This foundation aims to develop the integration and symbiosis between men and art and between the different disciplines of art.
In the year 2000 she undertook to develop a musical tour called the “Muzikale Stadswandeling” in Wijk bij Duurstede (the Netherlands). For this project she set nine poems by the Dutch poet Willem de Mérode to music. She selected these poems to as many characteristic locations in this little town. The poems have been set to music for various combinations of instruments and voices, and recordings of these songs can be hired at the local tourist office, together with a brochure. This project acquired recognition both by the Dutch classical radio and regional television. The project was fully financed by the Muzenstede foundation.
Sonja Beets made her official debut as a composer with the presentation of this cycle of songs.
In 2003 she finished composing a chamber opera on a libretto by Tom Sol after a story by Voltaire: “De Argeloze” (l’Ingénu).
She is also active as a performer in chamber music with her own ensemble called “Purusha”.