Louis Andriessen - 'Il Principe' (1974)

'Il Duce' (1973), 'Il Principe' (1974), and 'De Staat' (1976) form a triptych of musical pieces about politics. They are all settings of texts that are politically controversial, if not downright negative. This idea originates from Bertolt Brecht who wrote plays in which the main role is played by someone from whom you can learn how not to behave and how someone may act politically or socially ill at certain moments. He calls it the 'a-social model'. The Machiavelli from 'The Prince' were also chosen primarily as an example of how people should not think politically. But as in the case of Plato, it is too simple to present Machiavelli solely as an arch-reactionary, however fascist-like the statement "If one wants to control a city, one must destroy it" is. (The American General Westmoreland said exactly the same 450 years later during the destruction of Vietnam). One of the aspects of Machiavelli's work that one might call "progressive" is the fact that it has contributed significantly to the formation of the Italian state from the city states that had been fighting each other for centuries. He is a "materialist" and a realist, who also demonstrates that power in the hands of a few always corrupts. His political realism is diametrically opposed to Thomas Moore's magnificent Utopia, which appeared in the same year (1516). The opening text that I use is a direct contradiction of Moore's idealism. Utopia is one of the most beautiful books I know, but in this trilogy I am concerned with the musical rhetorical commentary on the extremely debatable opinions that appear in the texts.
'Il principle' is written for two choirs, wind instruments, bass guitar and piano. Within the piece, another 'prince' is quoted: Carlo Gesualdo, Principe di Venosa, from his last book madrigals (1613). These highly chromatic choruses were written at the time when the musical avant-garde was busy with 31-tone temperament and other post-tonal problems that (unfortunately?) were forgotten after the invention of tonality and the opera. - Louis Andriessen
Performed by the Centraal Kamerkoor and Ensemble, conducted by Leonard van Goudoever.
Recorded September 22nd 1991 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam.

[@Raul-vlc-86]

The use of the electric guitar (and the piano) is way more subtle than I expected (to the point it's sometimes difficult the discern them among voices and wind instruments). Terrific piece. Rest in peace, maestro.

[@Minimimismim]

Thanks so much for posting this piece!! One of my favorites by him.....you really can’t find it anywhere else

[@dbadagna]

What a great piece, equally as interesting as "De Staat," but which I had not had an opportunity to hear or read about until now. Thank you so much for making it available.
Do you think it might be possible to find a recording of Andriessen's "Mattheus passie" (1976)?

[@minimaleffort8780]

The Concertzender website has a recording of a 1997 performance of Andriessen's Mattheus Passie. I won't be uploading it to this channel as the musical style is a bit outside its scope, but you can find it here: www.concertzender.nl/concertpodium/schandpaal-of-hommage/

[@dbadagna]

Il principle => Il principe
Thomas Moore's => Thomas More's
of Moore's idealism => of More's idealism
from his last book madrigals => from his last book of madrigals
The Machiavelli from 'The Prince' were also chosen =>
The Machiavelli texts from 'The Prince' were also chosen ?