Canto Ostinato can rightly be called one of the most beautiful compositions by a Dutchman. Simeon ten Holt was his name, the composer who lived most of his life in his native Bergen where he passed away in 2012.
The Canto is of course his most famous work, but he wrote much more. What to think of the Soloduivelsdans and the Incantatie IV. In Paul Hegeman’s new documentary, De eeuw van Simeon (The Century of Simeon), these pieces also finally get the attention they deserve in beautiful performances by Hannes Minnaar, the Natalon Kwartet and the Amstel Quartet. But a film about ten Holt would not be complete without the beautiful Canto, as performed by the Oerkwartet, the original formation that provided the very first performance of the piece, and the piano duo Scholtes & Janssens. The pianist and longtime collaborator Kees Wieringa is our musical guide who explains to us what the virtuosity of the Canto consists of.
But the film is also mainly about the man Simeon. Who was he? How did he live? Where did he get his inspiration from? The three witnesses, his widow Colette Noel, daughter Marijn ten Holt and ex-wife Noeki Schmid, all shed light on a different aspect of his character. A treasure trove of archive footage helps to bring Simeon ten Holt back to life in the documentary.
Mokum Filmdistributie will release De eeuw van Simeon in Dutch cinemas on January 9.