Peter Vermeersch
Encyclopedia
Peter Vermeersch is a Belgian composer
, clarinet
player and producer
.
He is a main character in several Belgian bands such as X-Legged Sally
, A Group and the Flat Earth Society
. His compositions, balancing between classical, jazz and pop music, are often commissioned for or used by modern dance companies.
As a producer he helped to form the first album of Belgium's most prominent indie band dEUS. As such, he is one of the godfathers of the Belgian music scene.
and composed and performed music for dance productions by Rosas
and Ultima Vez. He was also a member of the Simpletones and Kamagurka
en the Vlaamse Primitieven. Among his first official compositions is part of the music for the dance production Rosas danst Rosas (1983).
. In a way, XLS was the last Belgian prog-rock band. In another way, it was the first band of the new Belgian scene. Many X-Legged Sally compositions were originally soundtracks to dance performances. X-Legged Sally split up in 1997.
Out of the ashes of X-Legged Sally sprung A Group, who have released two CDs and are currently inactive. A Group mixes the creativity of X-Legged Sally with pure and simple pop tunes.
Currently Peter Vermeersch' main project is the Flat Earth Society
, a big band that mixes the rich Belgian brass band (HaFaBra) tradition with characteristic topsy-turvy creativity.
From his early career, Peter Vermeersch has composed music for modern dance productions of renowned Belgian companies such as Rosas and Ultima Vez. Other pieces were composed to accompany theatre plays, such as Josse De Pauw
's Weg.
Some of the songs of X-Legged Sally have been published as sheet music and performed by contemporary classical ensembles. Apart from these, various ensembles have commissioned compositions, such as a string quartet for Walpurgis and the tone poem 's Nachts brede opklaringen for the Spiegel Strijkkwartet.
Major compositions include the oratoria or mini-operas Music Hall on poems by Paul van Ostaijen
for Prima la Musica, The Soluble Fish and Charms on poems by Daniil Kharms
, both for Walpurgis. The grand big-band opera Heliogabal was written for the Ruhr Triennale and performed by the Flat Earth Society.
In 2004 he was appointed 'town composer' of Ghent
, a position he used to compose a song for the carillon and for the Gentse Feesten
(performed by Kamagurka
).
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
player and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
He is a main character in several Belgian bands such as X-Legged Sally
X-Legged Sally
X-Legged Sally is a Belgian avant-garde rock/jazz-band founded in 1988 by composer Peter Vermeersch, and disbanded in 1997. They were one of the first bands from Belgium to combine a set of very different musical styles , becoming a starting point for the Belgian indie music scene that developed...
, A Group and the Flat Earth Society
Flat Earth Society (band)
The Flat Earth Society is a Belgian big band ensemble founded and led by Peter Vermeersch. They mix the rich Belgian brass band tradition with characteristic topsy-turvy creativity....
. His compositions, balancing between classical, jazz and pop music, are often commissioned for or used by modern dance companies.
As a producer he helped to form the first album of Belgium's most prominent indie band dEUS. As such, he is one of the godfathers of the Belgian music scene.
Early career
Vermeersch' formal training include architecture and urbanization, and a modern art course. He soon got involved with music and started composing. In the eighties and early nineties, Vermeersch was part of the post-modern classical ensembles Union and Maximalist!Maximalist! (band)
Maximalist! was an ensemble formed to perform the compositions that Thierry De Mey and Peter Vermeersch wrote for the dance choreographies of Wim Vandekeybus. The music they performed mixed avant-garde jazz with minimal music; hence the name of the band.De Mey and Vermeersch had met each other in...
and composed and performed music for dance productions by Rosas
Rosas
Rosas may refer to:*Rosas, , a town in Catalonia, Spain*Rosas , a Spanish surname*Juan Manuel de Rosas, a nineteenth century Argentine governor*Cesar Rosas, a Mexican musician*Fernando Rosas, a Portuguese academic and politician...
and Ultima Vez. He was also a member of the Simpletones and Kamagurka
Kamagurka
Kamagurka, aka Luc Zeebroek, is a Belgian cartoonist, playwright and television producer, known for the absurd nature of his work. He has a big variety of comic figures, but "Bert en Bobje" are the most well-known...
en the Vlaamse Primitieven. Among his first official compositions is part of the music for the dance production Rosas danst Rosas (1983).
Bands
Because Vermeersch soon grew tired of the constraints imposed by sheet music, he started his own ensemble X-Legged SallyX-Legged Sally
X-Legged Sally is a Belgian avant-garde rock/jazz-band founded in 1988 by composer Peter Vermeersch, and disbanded in 1997. They were one of the first bands from Belgium to combine a set of very different musical styles , becoming a starting point for the Belgian indie music scene that developed...
. In a way, XLS was the last Belgian prog-rock band. In another way, it was the first band of the new Belgian scene. Many X-Legged Sally compositions were originally soundtracks to dance performances. X-Legged Sally split up in 1997.
Out of the ashes of X-Legged Sally sprung A Group, who have released two CDs and are currently inactive. A Group mixes the creativity of X-Legged Sally with pure and simple pop tunes.
Currently Peter Vermeersch' main project is the Flat Earth Society
Flat Earth Society (band)
The Flat Earth Society is a Belgian big band ensemble founded and led by Peter Vermeersch. They mix the rich Belgian brass band tradition with characteristic topsy-turvy creativity....
, a big band that mixes the rich Belgian brass band (HaFaBra) tradition with characteristic topsy-turvy creativity.
Compositions
As a composer, Peter Vermeersch has his own place among the long list of contemporary Belgian composers, although, due to his lack of formal training and his involvement with pop music, he doesn't necessarily fit in with the likes of Wim Henderickx, Luc Brewaeys or Boudewijn Buckinx.From his early career, Peter Vermeersch has composed music for modern dance productions of renowned Belgian companies such as Rosas and Ultima Vez. Other pieces were composed to accompany theatre plays, such as Josse De Pauw
Josse De Pauw
Josse De Pauw , is a versatile Belgian actor, film director, dramatist, author and columnist. He is married to modern dance performer Fumio Ikeda.-Theatre:...
's Weg.
Some of the songs of X-Legged Sally have been published as sheet music and performed by contemporary classical ensembles. Apart from these, various ensembles have commissioned compositions, such as a string quartet for Walpurgis and the tone poem 's Nachts brede opklaringen for the Spiegel Strijkkwartet.
Major compositions include the oratoria or mini-operas Music Hall on poems by Paul van Ostaijen
Paul van Ostaijen
Paul van Ostaijen was a Flemish poet and writer.Van Ostaijen was born in Antwerp. His nickname was Mister 1830, because of his habit of walking along the streets of Antwerp clothed as a dandy from that year....
for Prima la Musica, The Soluble Fish and Charms on poems by Daniil Kharms
Daniil Kharms
Daniil Kharms was an early Soviet-era surrealist and absurdist poet, writer and dramatist. One of his pseudonyms, which was signed in Latin alphabet, was Daniel Charms.- Life :...
, both for Walpurgis. The grand big-band opera Heliogabal was written for the Ruhr Triennale and performed by the Flat Earth Society.
In 2004 he was appointed 'town composer' of Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, a position he used to compose a song for the carillon and for the Gentse Feesten
Gentse Feesten
The Gentse Feesten is a music and theatre festival in the city of Ghent . Besides stage events there are random small street acts such as mimickers, buskers, etc. It starts on the Saturday before July 21 and lasts ten days...
(performed by Kamagurka
Kamagurka
Kamagurka, aka Luc Zeebroek, is a Belgian cartoonist, playwright and television producer, known for the absurd nature of his work. He has a big variety of comic figures, but "Bert en Bobje" are the most well-known...
).
Discography
This discography does not include the recordings by the bands Peter Vermeersch has played in or has written music for.- Rosas danst Rosas (1983)
- Immer das Selbe Gelogen (1991)
- Music Hall (1996)
- De Oplosbare Vis (1996)
- Weg (1999)
- Charms (2000)
Music for theatre & dance
- Echafaudages (Radeis, with Union, 1981)
- Rosas danst rosas (with Thierry De Mey, Anne-Theresa Dekeersmaecker & Rosas, 1983)
- Usurpation (Josse De Pauw, 1985)
- What the body does not remember (with Thierry De Mey, Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1987)
- Ward Comblez, he do the life in three voices (Josse De Pauw, 1989)
- Le poids de la main - live music (with Thierry De Mey, Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1990)
- Immer dasselbe gelogen (Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1991)
- Her body doesn't fit her soul (Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1993)
- Mountains made of barking (Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1994)
- De oplosbare vis/The Soluble Fish (Walpurgis ensemble, 1996)
- Music-Hall, song cycle on poems by Paul Van Ostaijen (chamber orchestra, soprano and baritone, 1996)
- Bereft of a blissful union - live music (Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez, 1996)
- Oorsmeersessions (for Flat Earth Society and circus artists, 1997)
- Charms - Song-cycle on poems by Daniil Charms (accordion, percussion, clarinet, soprano) (November 1997)
- Trage Kogels/Slow Bullets (Nieuwpoorttheater, theater Antigone & theater Zuidpool, 2000)
- Weg (Josse De Pauw, 1999)
- Larf (Josse De Pauw, 2000)
- Heliogabal (big-band opera, 2003)
- Mé Gusta (Laika Antwerpen 2008)
Music for movies
- De stille oceaan/The Pacific Ocean (Digna Sinke, 1984)
- De tocht/The Journey (live music on short film by Hendrickx-Dehollander)
- The way of the weed ("Digital Dancefilm" by Misotten-Quirijnen-Lambrechts)
- Vinaya (De Pauw - Van Kraaij, 1992)
- Brussels Midnight (Van den Berghe, 1998)
- Brasschaet (film by Jules Van Volxem, 1932, composition 1998)
- Undercover KittyUndercover Kitty (film)Undercover Kitty is a 2001 Dutch film, based on the children's novel Minoes by Annie M.G. Schmidt. The film was a box office success grossing $4,227,362 in the Netherlands, $111,858 in Germany, $34,164 in Austria, and $389,200 in Norway.-Plot:...
(Vincent Bal, 2001) - De Oesterprinses/The Oyster Princess (film by Ernst Lubitsch, 1919, composition 2005)
Music for music
- X pieces for small orchestra (chamber orchestra)
- 3 or 2 portraits of a drowning person (string quartet)
- Doppler quintet (string quartet + clarinet, 1992)
- Rain brings back the dust
- Wegener quartet (string trio + clarinet)
- Für Rumpelstilzchen (ensemble for Champ d'Action, 1993)
- The purple cucumber (1995)
- We beginnen vanaf maat 158 (8 tuba's + piccolo)
- Slow surfer on a turd stream (Instant Composing piece for 17 musicians, for November music)
- Stukken (string quartet, for De Singel/Arditi String Quartet)
- November Music International (March, the Harelbeke Brass Band)
- 's Nachts Brede Opklaringen (String quartet, Spiegel Strijkkwartet)