Around the Music Festival

Dutch cellist Anna Bylsma, who was known as a pioneer of Ancient music playing, died in Amsterdam on the 25th. He was 85 years old. Taking advantage of the combination of baroque cello and gut strings, it has brought a new style to the classical music world with a nuance-rich expression that sets it apart from the performance by modern instruments. It led to the establishment of Ancient instrument orchestras such as “London Classical Players” by Roger Norrington, and “18th Century Orchestra” by Frans Brüggen, and also had a great influence on the expression of modern instruments.

The Hague was born in 1934. After graduating from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, he won the 1959 Pablo Casals International Competition in Mexico. From 1962 to 1968, he served as Principal Cello player for the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, but resigned to concentrate on the baroque cello. The first recording of Bach’s unaccompanied cello suite, released in 1979, is full of soft-sounding and narrative expressions, bringing out dance-like, lively music and establishing a new Bach statue.

After that, he sent many historical masterpieces to the world as a leading performer of ancient music. In addition, he formed a string ensemble “L’Archbudelli” using gut strings with his wife Vera Beth (violin) and Jürgen Kussmaul (viola). A variety of activities continued from the baroque era to the romantics. In addition to playing, he taught at the Royal Conservatory of Amsterdam and Hague, and raised Peter Wisperway and Hidemi Suzuki.

Photo：Radio Netherlands Archives　/　Keke-Keukelaar