Discover the Forgotten Legacy of Jan Brandts Buys: A Dutch Composer Exhibition at Geelvinck Pianola Museum

This exhibition at the Geelvinck Pianola Museum explores the life and work of Jan Brandts Buys, a Dutch composer born in Zutphen who achieved fame across Europe but is now largely forgotten. The exhibition highlights his musical heritage, his prolific career as an opera composer and writer of numerous other works, and his romantic, pleasant musical style.

The exhibition 'Jan Brandts Buys (1868-1933), a composer from Zutphen undeservedly forgotten' at the Geelvinck Pianola Museum delves into the legacy of a significant Dutch composer whose work once resonated throughout Europe but has since faded from public memory. Born in Zutphen in 1868, Jan Brandts Buys hailed from a family with a five-generation tradition of musicians. Initially an organist, he gained prominence as a pianist and composer of songs, eventually moving to Vienna in 1892. In Vienna, Brandts Buys worked as a music correspondent and arranger, but his true passion lay in composing. He achieved considerable success with his operas, writing ten in total, with 'Die Schneider von Schönau' (De Kleermakers van Marken) being particularly popular, seeing over a thousand performances abroad by 1945. In addition to his operas, he composed over 260 other works, including songs, chamber music, and orchestral pieces. His music is characterized by its romantic, pleasant, and melodious sound, often compared to the tradition of Brahms and Grieg, with occasional dissonant flourishes. The exhibition celebrates his rich oeuvre, highlighting his undeserved obscurity. The exhibition is also linked to a Jan Brandts Buys Festival that took place in Zutphen from September 21-23. The accompanying exhibition is on display at the Muziek Museum in Zutphen until December 30, 2018.