Carillon concert in Mechelen, Belgium

The following program from the carillon concert in Mecheclen was contributed by Mariko Matsue, librarian at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen.

Carillon Concert for IAML
18:30- Wednesday 16 July 2014
Eddy Mariën, the cit

y carillonneur of Mechelen

Presentation by Mariko Matsue
Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” Mechelen

Welcome to Mechelen, the centre of carillon culture.

This evening recital is specially arranged for the IAML participants, so that you can experience carillon music, and how it sounds in the city.

1. The instrument.

The St. Rombouts cathedral (see photo) was constructed from the 13th to the 16th century, and named after the patron saint of the archbishop of Mechelen.

The Tower height is 97m, counts 538 steps to the top, and 448 steps to the playing cabin. In its original design, the height was to be 167m. What is missing is the pointed rooftop on the tower.

The tower has 2 sets of carillon, with 49 bells each. The old carillon was installed in the 15th century, and has a total weight of 38 ton. The new carillon was added in 1981 and weighs 40 ton.

2. Concert format.

We have 2 types of concerts.

One is the weekly recital, which we also call "regular recital". This is combined with weekly morning markets of the town situated on the square, usually around noon. The style is traditional.

Through the summer season, e.g. from the beginning of June to the end of September, a concert is given in the evening, mostly from 8 pm. The style was invented by Jef Denyn, the revitalizer of carillon music and culture in the beginning of the 20th century. We have many ephemerae, to show how popular the concerts were.

3. Today's menu.

1.    Two preludes for carillon

- Prelude 3                                                 Matthias Vanden Gheyn (1721-1785)

- Prelude in D minor                                               Jef Denyn (1862-1941)

Matthias Vanden Gheyn is called "The Bach of the carillon", a city carillonneur of Leuven in the 18th century.
Jef Denyn, is the revitaliser of carillon and was Mechelen’s city carillonneur.
At present the carillonneur is Eddy Marien (see photo), the successor of these two city carillons (Leuven and Mechelen).

2.    Two serenades

- Serenade opus 3 nr. 5                              Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

                                                                  arr. Eddy Mariën (1962-)

- Moonlight serenade                                              Glenn Miller (1904-1944)

                                                                  arr. Eddy Mariën (1962-)                   

Carillon summer concerts are mainly in the evening, so serenades are played rather often. Some carillonneurs arrange some existing serenades played by other instruments for carillon. These two are a typical example.

3. Two of his own pieces

- Lux aeterna                                                          Eddy Mariën (1962-)

       - Campana ragtime                                          Eddy Mariën (1962-)

Eddy composed several pieces for carillon.

"Lux Aeterna" (Eternal Light) was composed for the inauguration of the new carillon of the "Church of the shepherds" in Alverca, Portugal, in 2005.

Campana Ragtime is dedicated to the Campana, the student club of the Royal Carillon School Mechelen.

4.    Two Broadway shows

- I feel pretty (West Side Story)                  Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

                                                                  arr. Jos Lerinckx (1920-2000)

- Summertime (Porgy and Bess)                  George Gershwin (1898-1937)

                                                                  arr. Eddy Mariën (1962-)       

Nowadays the USA has the biggest numbers of carillon and carillonneurs in the world. Such arrangements are not only highly appreciated by many players and listeners, but they also display the potential variety of carillon music.

Shortly after the concert, Eddy will come down from the cabin to greet you here. Please have a little patience.

Thank you and enjoy!

Eddy Mariën received his first lessons in piano and carillon from his stepfather Jef Rottiers. He completed his piano studies at the conservatory of Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium, and studied subsequently at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn”, where he teaches now. At the Lemmens Institute in Leuven he obtained the degree of Master of Music. He gave master classes at the Yale University (USA), at the National Palace of Mafra (Portugal) and at the Carillon School of Denmark.

He is the city carillonneur of Mechelen, Leuven and Halle as well as the carillonneur of Meise, where he was the initiator and advisor of the new carillon. He was invited to give recitals and lectures in Europe, America, New-Zealand and Australia. He recorded several CDs such as Romantische Beiaardmuziek, Carillon and Guitar and Beiaardmuziek van Jef Rottiers. At the international carillon competitions of Nijmegen (1989) and Berlin (1991) he won the first prize. Now he is invited regularly as member of the jury in national and international competitions and exams.

Being a promoter for combining carillon with other instruments, he was the first to perform with guitar and with vibraphone. He plays quatre-mains in the American-European carillon duo Campana Nova with Thomas Lee.

Below you can watch Eddy Mariën play a Giga by François Couperin.