Jochum Slothouwer (1938) seems to belong to a lost generation of composers. Just like Hans Kox and Robert Heppener, he did not participate in the avant-garde journey of the Van Vlijmen school. Not that Slothouwer is ignorant of the secrets of serialism: he was taught series techniques by Henze. However, this was more about professional practice, as if it were some kind of 20th-century Palestrina
… counterpoint. Slothouwer's destination lay elsewhere. He had an interesting career as a co-conductor: he assisted Henze with recordings and Hans Kox with the preparation of his opera Dorian Gray. Slothouwer also worked in education. As director of the Amsterdam Music Lyceum, he prepared for the merger with the Amsterdam Conservatory. Ultimately, Slothouwer gave up this position to start a coffee shop (with real coffee, not opiates). Slothouwer meanwhile continued to compose for all kinds of companies. This CD contains a number of Slothouwer's works, including the Trio for violin, viola and cello (containing material from Slothouwer's opera Daradiridatumtarides) and the Trio No. 3 for violin, horn and piano. (HJ)more
