Musicatlas
Music
Major Works
Keyboard music
- Three New Canons on the Theme of J.S. Bach: The Musical Offering (1978) Publication (1978): Journal Mens en Melodie, Nr. 12: Christmas supplement.
- Four Melodies for Piano (1960|1980) Publication (1981): Israel Music Institute, Tel Aviv (IMI 6301). First rendition (1999): Bart Berman, Bikure Ha’itim Center, Tel Aviv.
- Birthday Bunch by Bart (1994) Unofficial publication (1994): Israel Music Institute, Tel Aviv (IMI 0000). First rendition (1994): Bart Berman, Israel Music Institute, Tel Aviv.
- Film Music for Babette Berman: The Stair Case (1995) [manuscript] Film (1995): Student’s project for the Rietveld Academy of Visual Arts, Amsterdam.
Chamber and theater music
- Stage Music for Gerbrand Bredero: The Farce of the Cow (1956) [manuscript] Premiere (1956): Jan Kok (flute), Philips Theater, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
- Stage Music for Johan Frabricius: The Bell Ringer (1956) [manuscript] Premiere (1956): Philips Theater Ensemble, Bart Berman (conductor), Eindhoven.
- Duo in Mediterranean Style for violin and viola (1957) [publ.-ready]
- String Quartet (1958) [manuscript] Premiere (1958): String Quartet of the Amsterdam Music Academy.
Choir and orchestra music
- Allegro for Orchestra (1958) [manuscript] First rendition (1958): Chamber Orchestra of the Amsterdam Music Academy.
- Christmas Song on a Dutch text by Bertus van Lier for Choir a-cappela [publ.-ready]
- Go Down, Moses African-American Spiritual for Choir a-cappella [publ.-ready]
- Na-Nach-Nacham-Nachman Jewish Brasslau Chassidic Canon [publ.-ready]
Cadenzas
- Cadenzas for all Beethoven piano concerti (1966-1990) [publ.-ready] Premiere of the Rondo in B Flat Major with the Cadenzas: Bart Berman and the Israel Sinfonietta, Beer Sheva. Premiere of the Second Piano Concerto with the Cadenzas (1966): Bart Berman and the Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hilversum.
- Cadenzas for all Haydn piano concerti (1970-1990) [publ.-ready] Premiere of the Piano Concerto in D major with the Cadenzas (1998): Matthijs Verschoor and the Kampen Symphony Orchestra, Kampen, Netherlands. Premiere of the Concerto in F Major with the Cadenzas: Bart Berman and the Doetinchem Symphony Orchestra.
- Cadenzas for all Mozart solo, double and triple piano concerti (1970-1990) [publ.-ready]
- Cadenza for Castiglioni: Arabeschi for flute, piano and orchestra (1974) [manuscript] Premiere of the Castiglioni Arabeschi with the Cadenza (1974): Bart Berman and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, ICSM World Music Days, Rotterdam.
Endings
- Endings to Schubert: Unfinished Piano Sonatas (1976-1990) [publ.-ready] CD with all the Sonatas and the Endings (1997): Bart Berman, Erasmus, Rotterdam. Recording of Sonata D 840 with Endings (1992): Bart Berman, Voice of Music, Israel. Premiere of all Sonatas and Endings (1997): Bart Berman, International Musica Da Camera Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Endings to Mozart: Unfinished Four Hands Piano Sonata K357 (1991) [publ.-ready] Recording (1998): Bart Berman and Meir Wiesel ("Duo 4"), Israel Voice of Music. Premiere (1991): Sara Fuxon and Bart Berman ("Duo Beer Sheva"), Bet Daniel, Zichron Ya’akov, Israel.
- Short Ending to J.S. Bach: Art of Fugue [publ.-ready] Recording (1975): Bart Berman (piano), Radio VPRO, Hilversum, Netherlands. Premiere (forthcoming, 2000): Bart Berman, chamber concert series, Tel Mond, Israel.
- Ending to Beethoven: Romance Cantabile for flute, bassoon, piano and orchestra [ms.]
- Endings to second movement of Glinka: Unfinished Viola Sonata (1999) [manuscript]
Additional keyboard parts
- Second Piano Part for Clementi: Six Sonatinas Opus 36 [publ.-ready] CD with Sonatinas 1 and 4 with the Second part (1996): Bart Berman and Meir Wiesel ("Duo 4"), CDI, Karmiel. Premiere of Sonatinas 1 and 4 with the Second part (1995): Bart Berman and Meir Wiesel ("Duo 4"), Ramat Hasharon.
- Right Hand Part for Bach Sonatas in E Minor and E Major [publ.-ready] Premiere (forthcoming, 2000): Noam Buchman (flute) and Shalev Ad El (harpsichord), Ein Karem Music Center, Jerusalem.
- Second Piano Part for Daniel Steibelt: Sonatina Opus 33 in C [manuscript]
Arrangements
- Easy piano arrangement to Tsippi Fleischer: Hexaptychon 6 (1998) Publication (forthcoming, 2000): in Leichte Klaviermusik aus Israel, Hamburg: Peer Verlag.
- String Quartet arrangement to Bart Berman: Four Melodies [publ.-ready] Premiere (1995): String quartet, Educational Center, Oosterhesselen, Netherlands.
- Edvard, voice and piano arrangement to classical melodies in Dutch (1999) [publ.-ready]
Life
Bart Berman studied composition with Wouter van den Berg (Pre-Academy) and Bertus van Lier (Amsterdam Academy). He studied piano with Wouter van den Berg (Pre-Academy), Jaap Spaanderman (Amsterdam Academy, for Soloist Degree and for the Prize of Excellence) and with Theo Bruins and Alfred Brendel (Post-Academy classes). Bart Berman worked as a Senior Teacher of Piano at the Rotterdam and Arnhem Academies of Music and as Music Editor of the Israel Music Institute.
Special educational activities included master classes, a workshop in "Creative Cadenza Writing" and lectures on topics as "The Art of Fugue", "Cadenzas for Classical Piano Concerti", "Cesar Franck’s Cyclical Works" and "Contemporary Dutch Piano Music". Together with his former "Duo Beer Sheva" partner, Sara Fuxon, he demonstrated performance at workshops with composers Győrgy Ligeti, Henri Pousseur and Ralph Shapey.
At the beginning of his piano career, Bart Berman was awarded the First Prize at the International Gaudeamus Contest, the Dutch Prize of Excellence and the Friends of the Concertgebouw Award. In 1990 he received a Honorary Mention for the Performance and the Promotion of Israeli Music. He is frequently appointed to juries of prestigous prizes and to audition committees, both in fields of performance and of composition. Berman is an active performer, in recitals, with orchestras and in chamber music and composed many original works.
In the fifties, still undecided whether to become primarily a composer or a pianist, Bart Berman wrote mostly chamber music and for theater. His works were performed by the Philips Theater and the ensemble of the Amsterdam Academy of Music. Since the sixties, when performance gained the upperhand, Berman composed mostly music for piano, such as endings for Schubert’s unfinished sonatas, cadenzas for all Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven piano concerti, and a second piano part for six sonatinas by Clementi.
In these later works, Berman combined his composition experience with his pianistic views and expertise in many styles of classical music. Berman’s works were published, performed and recorded in the Netherlands and in Israel. Musicians or other parties interested, who would like to know more about Bart Berman’s compositions, are invited to send him an e-mail (see below).