Around Willem Mudde

Jan Hage presented the trade edition of his dissertation on Lutheran church musician Willem Mudde in the Utrecht Domkerk in 2017. Along with that book, a CD was also released: "Around Willem Mudde".

On this "sounding appendix" to his thesis, Hage performs music by Jan Zwart, Cor Kee, Feike Asma, Adriaan C. Schuurman, Willem Vogel, Jacob Bijster and Mudde himself on the Bätz organ of the Domkerk.

The Reformatory newspaper wrote the following:

'Striking: Hage reserves the most time for Zwart: over 25 minutes. The tough "Een vast Burg", the widely spun Psalm 103 and the intimate "Ga niet alleen": they get a worthy rendition on the organ of the Domkerk. Asma is represented with "Come like child'ren". It will be too fast and smooth for Asma lovers, but Hage also knows how to hunt and grab into the keys.

Mudde himself is fascinating. Hage does not play his well-known "Dear Jesus" or "Waer dat men sich", but two small canonical arrangements and the interesting Introduction, Chorale, Ciaconna on Psalm 24. I would have liked to hear more from this Mudde!

Also intriguing is Cor Kee, influenced, like Mudde, by composers such as Pepping and Distler. His whirling Psalm 100, performed virtuosically, shows where a Black pupil can also come out on top.

Adriaan C. Schuurman, Mudde's Reformed counterpart, is present with his Toccata, Trio and Fugue on Psalm 150. This music is tailor-made for Hage. After miniatures by Willem Vogel, Jacob Bijster's late-Romantic variations on "Ick wil me gaen vertroosten" take the last word.

Hage shows that the Dutch choral art of the 20th century is as broad as it is fascinating.'