Gerard von Brucken Fock

Family and education Gerard von Brucken Fock (also known as Geert) was born as Gerardus Hubertus Galenus Fock on Ter Hooge Castle, Koudekerke, in the outskirts of Middelburg where he spent the summers of his early childhood. His father was Henri Dignes von Brucken Fock and his mother Johanna Kuykendall. He had three brothers, one of them being Abraham Emilius von Brucken Fock, a soldier who later acquired fame as a composer as well. Less than four years later his father changed his name to "von Brucken Fock". He grew up in the province of Zeeland as the child of a wealthy family, and although he never had to work he did attend his secondary school in Middelburg. In 1877 he attempted to join the Royal Military Academy in Breda, but failed the entrance exam. He took piano lessons with professor Theodorus Leonardus van der Wurff (1836–1900) and studied music composition with the famous composer Richard Hol, who taught him the principles of harmony between 1877 and 1879 in Utrecht, played viola in ensembles and maintained contacts with prominent musicians from the Utrechtsch Orchestra with whom he toured in Middelburg. He then decided to continue with his studies in music and moved to Berlin in September 1879 to take lessons with the renowned pedagogue and composer Friedrich Kiel and composition with professors Woldemar Bargiel and Ernst Rudorff. After moving from one place to another from 1883, visiting Dresden, Prague, Vienna and the German island of Borkum, he returned to Middelburg in 1885 and married Maria Johanna Pompe van Meerdervoort, daughter of a member of the Zeeland parliament. In 1895 Von Brucken Fock took his temporary dismissal from the Salvation Army, picked up the thread of composing again in 1898 and composed Impromptu: Le Gironde for piano, later released as Opus 12. but briefly stayed in Berlin between 1905 and 1906. After having lived in Paris between 1912 and 1913, they moved to Laren and then to Katwijk aan Zee. In Laren, he wrote a book about the impending kingdom of God on Earth, that he sent to an interested publisher, but he asked the manuscript back. Middelburg music publisher Anthony Noske approached him shortly in April 1918 in order to push his work ahead, but Gerard politely refused any help saying that he was going through one of his many anti-art periods again. A month later he wrote, however, that an illness of his wife had opened his eyes and that he had decided to return to his former views and lifestyle. Eventually he settled down in Heemstede in 1920 where he stayed until his death. In this last period of his life von Brucken Fock gave some church concerts, but wrote music mainly for himself, fleeing from the company of others. He also worked again in his oratorio The Second Coming of Christ that he had composed around 1905. Shortly before his death, at the age of 75, he completed his requiem, a masterpiece, which he began writing in 1888 and finished in 1933, with a successful premiere one year later. He died at Aerdenhout in 1935, specifying in his will that a fund should be created under his name to promote concerts and art exhibitions each year in the Netherlands. ==Musical works==

Gerard von Brucken Fock established his reputation as a composer of piano sonatas, preludes and moments musicaux, which were performed many times during his lifetime. Many of his compositions were published in the Netherlands and abroad, mostly with positive reviews. He was very active as a composer and also as a visual artist. He created a large number of works which shows the influence of, among others, Johannes Brahms, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and also from his friend Edvard Grieg who called him the "Dutch Chopin." The most important part of Gerard Focks repertoire as an artist came about between 1910 and 1920 for he allowed himself to be partially inspired in his compositions by the same topics of his drawings and paintings, the landscapes and the sea, and consequently with the Hague School of painting, although it has different style influences, but can be called Impressiniosm, like some of his music. His musical work is in line with those by the Amsterdam composers Daniel de Lange and Alphons Diepenbrock. He also wrote much religious music, including an oratorio, The Second Coming of Christ (1910), and a requiem (1933). ==Selected works==

Symphonies • Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 12 :# Sostenuto :# Andante molto cantabile :# Scherzo: allegro molto :# Finale. Adagio • Symphony No. 2 in B major (1907–1908) :# Allegro maestoso :# Andante quasi adagio :# Allegro assai :# Grave - allegro • Symphony No. 3 in C minor (1918) :# Adagio :# Allegro grazioso vivace :# Andante molto espressivo :# Allegro scherzando Other orchestral works • Die Wassergeusen, Ouverture, Op. 10 (1888) • Gnomendansje, Concert Piece in B minor, Op. 13 (1891) • Impressions du Midi, Suite No. 1 • Impressions du Midi, Suite No. 2 • Impressions du Midi, Suite No. 3 • Impressions du Midi, Suite No. 4 • Suite No. 5 "Bretonse Suite" (1900) :# De Zee in de verte (The Sea in the Distance) :# Caprice :# Morgenstond aan zee (Morning on the Sea) :# Hymne :# Bretonsche Schipperslied (Breton Boat Song) :# De Storm (The Storm) • Suite No. 6 • Suite No. 7 • Van de Zee, en de Verte ("The sea and the distance") (1902–1903) • Maannacht op Zee (Nuit lunaire sur la mer) • 2 Liederen van de Zee (2 Songs of the Sea) (1906) :# In den nacht :# Hymne • 3 Gnomendansjes, Op. 29 • Aus dem Süden, Suite, Op. 32 :# Fels und Meer :# Tanz :# Einsamkeit :# Waldgeister :# Schalkhaftes Mädchen Concertante • Concerto in D minor for piano and orchestra (1888) Chamber music • Sonata in A major for violin and piano (1878) • Sonata in B minor for viola and piano, Op. 5 (1885) • Sonata in E major for violin and piano (1889) • Stücke und Tänze for violin and piano (1889) • Elegie for violin and piano, Op. 7 (1890) • Sonata in F major for violin and piano, Op. 23 (1907) • Sonata for cello and piano (1931) Piano • Sonata (1878) • Sonata in E major (1882) • 4 Jeugd-Impressies • 6 Klavierstukken (6 Piano Pieces), Op. 1 (1882) • 9 kleine Praeludien (9 Little Preludes), Op. 2 (published c. 1886) • Lente-nadering (Frühlingsahnung) (1889) • 6 Spaansche Dansen (6 Spanish Dances), Op. 3 (1885) • 5 Praeludien (5 Preludes), Op. 4 • Sonata in B minor, Op. 5 (1886) • 2 Slavische Dansen (2 Slavic Dances), Op. 6 (published 1890) • 10 Praeludien (10 Preludes), Op. 8 • 3 Praeludien (3 Preludes), Op. 9 • Serenata (Serenade), Op. 10 (1891); orchestrated in 1934 • 5 Moments musicaux, Op. 11 (1891) • Impromptu et 4 préludes, Op. 12 (1898) :# Impromptu (La Gironde) :# Prélude (Laag water aan de Schelde) :# Prélude (Andante non troppo) :# Prélude (Andante non troppo) :# Prélude (Allegro non troppo) • 3 Spaansche Dansen (Spanish Dances), Op. 13 • 24 Praeludien (24 Preludes), Op. 15 • 7 Praeludien (7 Preludes), Op. 16 • 2 Préludes en étude, Op. 20 (1907) :# Prélude in A major :# Prélude in E major :# Étude in A major • Ballade, Op. 21 (1907) • 3 Klavierstukken (3 Piano Pieces), Op. 24 • Scherzo macabre, Op. 25 (1911) • 6 Klavierstukken (6 Piano Pieces), Op. 26 (1911) • 12 Klavierstukken (12 Piano Pieces), Op. 27 (1878–1881) • 6 Klavierstücke (6 Piano Pieces), Op. 29 (1900) • 18 Klavierstücke (1918) • 4 Pianostukken (1924–1927) Vocal • 3 Lieder for high voice and piano, Op. 14 (published 1891) :# Seligkeit :# Bitte :# Abendruh' • 14 Lieder for soprano and piano, Op. 18 :# Die Möve; words by Anna Ritter :# Versäumte Zeit; words by Anna Ritter :# Die Insel der Vergessenheit; words by Anna Ritter :# Das verirrte Wölkchen; words by Anna Ritter :# Mädchenlied; words by Ernst Zitelmann :# Mädchenlied; words by Ernst Zitelmann :# Mädchenlied; words by Ernst Zitelmann :# Anklage :# Ritzelputzel :# Abend im Herbst :# Volkslied :# Erinnerung; words by Annemarie von Nathusius :# Es ist so still; words by Paul Mochmann :# Wiegenlied; words by Hoffmann von Fallersleben • 5 Liederen (5 Songs) for soprano and piano, Op. 22; words by Joannes Reddingius :# Hei met de wolken zoo wit :# Schemerliedje :# Witte wijven dansen om en om :# Processie :# In mijn stille kamer • 7 Liederen (7 Songs) for soprano (or mezzo-soprano) or tenor and piano, Op. 28 (1917) :# Les cigales; words by Emmanuel Delbousquet :# Heimweh; words by Karl Johann Philipp Spitta :# En lisant l'Evangile; words by Paul Bourget :# L'idéal; words by Sully Prudhomme :# Avond na regen; words by Carel Steven Adama van Scheltema :# Bruit de char; words by Achille Millien :# De nacht; words by Carel Steven Adama van Scheltema • 4 Liederen (4 Songs) for voice and piano, Op. 30 (1924); words by Louise Pompe :# Wensch :# Gebed :# Stil-zijn :# Zonnedag • ''Berceuse d'armorique'' for voice and piano (or orchestra); words by Anatole Le Braz Choral • 3 Geestelijke liederen (3 Sacred Songs) for mixed chorus a cappella, Op. 14 :# Het naderend Godsrijk :# Geluk :# Gethsemané • 22 Geestelijke liederen (22 Sacred Songs) for soloist, mixed chorus and piano or harmonium, Op. 17 :# Kanaän :# Lentelied :# 'k Dank U, o Heer! • Kerstcantate (Christmas Cantata) (1900) • Paaschcantate (Easter Cantata) for soloists, chorus, string quartet and organ (1901) • Pinkstercantate (Pentecostal Cantata) for soloist, chorus and orchestra (1901–1903) • De Wederkomst van Christus, of Het naderende Godsrijk (The Second Coming of Christ, or The Approaching Kingdom of God), Oratorio for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, double mixed chorus and orchestra (organ ad libitum), Op. 19 (1906, revised 1910); words by the composer • 7 Koralen for mixed chorus (or solo voices) and organ or piano; words by the composer, Op. 31 (1925) :# Gods lankmoedigheid :# De eeuwige rotssteen :# Het komende vredesrijk :# O God, ik heb U lief :# Danklied :# Gebed in verzoeking :# Gebed in zieleangst • Requiem in E minor for 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, bass, double mixed chorus and orchestra (1933) • 2 Pinksterliederen van I. da Costa (2 Pentecostal Songs of I. da Costa) for mixed chorus (or voice and harmonium); words by Isaac da Costa :# Ja, de trooster is gekomen :# Daal! Schepper, Heil'ge Geest Note: In 1919 Julius Röntgen wrote three orchestral works for von Brucken Fock entitled: Drei Praeludien und Fugen, "An G.H.G. von Brucken Fock". ==References==