Artist description Ton Reijnaerdts is a Dutch organist who has given many recitals over the years and has played on a number of great organs in Holland and abroad. He studied organ, composition and music theory at the Music Conservatories of Maastricht and Liège and gives recitals frequently.He has made three CD's with organ music. In Rochester Cathedral UK, Ton Reijnaerdts made a recording of the prestigious and virtuoso Eighth Organ Symphony by Charles-Marie Widor at the Mander-organ, parts of it also can be heard on this site. As a photographer he took part in a study devoted to the nineteenth century Maastricht organ builders Pereboom & Leijser.

Music Style Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic age, 20th century

Musical Influences Bach, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Frescobaldi, De Grigny, Franck, Widor, Vierne, Messiaen, Jehan Alain

Instruments Pipe organ

Press Reviews Widor's 8th Organ Symphony and Dupré's Suite Bretonne (TRA 2000-03) "Trouw" (Aug 00):"The great dynamic contrasts of this organ are beautiful and Reijnaerdts makes thankful use of these.......Reijnaerdts plays this very difficult music technically accurate, with a good feeling for proportion and greater lines". (Christo Lelie) "Limburgs Dagblad" (Oct 00)"The Maastricht organist has the right physical and musical qualities to exploit this imposing instrument to the full. Especially dynamically does he know how to optimally utilise all contrast possibilities, while not succumbing to the temptation of too much superficial display". "Nederlands Dagblad" (Oct 00) "The Maastricht organist Ton Reijnaerdts is a man who can tackle anything. He plays Sweelinck with the same ease as he plays Vierne.......He plays Widor's music of "titanic" proportions driven.......nothing but praise. Also Dupré's little known Suite Bretonne I have enjoyed." (Elburg, Maarten Seijbel) "De Orgelvriend" (Nov 00) "It is admirable the way in which Reijnaerdts has taken control over this gigantic English organ, his registrations sound as if he has been playing here for many years and is totally familiar with this instrument. This quite direct recording shows once again that Ton Reijnaerdts is in total control of the organ as well as of the music he plays. (G.S.) "The Organ" (Feb. 01, UK) "Of Charles-Marie Widor's ten symphonies the Eighth is without doubt the most imposing"..."It became apparent that the organ was in fact an almost ideal instrument for the music. Its bright choruses with generous upperwork built to an imposing tutti, with less brutality than a Cavaillé-Coll, and there is plenty of colourful flutes and strings to use in the slower works. The modest acoustic of the Cathedral also helps to preserve clarity in what is a technically complex work"..."Ton Reijnaerdts playing is persuasive, stepping above the music's immediate barrier of extreme length to present a unified whole..." (Simon Fitzgerald) "Organists' Review" (Feb. 01, UK) "Rochester Cathedrals magnificent organ was almost completely rebuilt in 1989. Although still the predominantly English creature that it always was, it lends itself well to the harmonic adventures, contrapuntal complexity and Late Romantic colours of Widor's Organ Symphony No. 8. The sound is beautifully captured on this recording from the Dutch performer's own production company in Maastricht..." 300 Years of European Organ Music (TRA 2000-01) "Dagblad de Limburger" (June 00)"This CD has been recorded on two delightful instruments, which differ enormously in character: Beek is lyrical and direct, Gronsveld is solemn, distinguished & stately. Both organs are extremely suitable for ancient music. Therefore the performer chose composers Bach, Cabezon, Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Sweelink a.o. to let the instruments have their full 'pound of flesh'. Playing is clear, well-balanced and musical. Recommended." (Wim Doesborgh) "De Orgelvriend" (Oct 00)"Ton Reijnaerdts' playing is caring and beautiful in articulation and phrasing, good for 74 minutes of listening enjoyment!" (Hendrik-Jan de Bie) ""Gereformeerd Dagblad" (Oct 00) "...Ton Reijnaerdts, the well-known Limburg organist, makes these organs sound admirably.....T.R. shows himself a warm advocate of early music, while using these two really splendid Limburg organs. A very interesting CD which is warmly recommended."(Elburg, Maarten Seijbel) "Ton Reijnaerdts plays Pièce Héroïque, Franck & other romantic organ works" (TRA 1997-01) Dutch organ magazine "De Orgelvriend" (Nov.98) "the recordings are excellent. I like Reijnaerdts' play, as it emanates grace and tranquility. He takes time for Vierne's spun-out Arabesque and the Choral from the 2nd Symphony, the suspense never ebbing away"..."These instruments are really stunning. A beautiful product" (Gerco Schaap) "Organists' Review" (July 99, UK)"The programme is chosen to show how versatile such a modest parish church organ can be, and concentrates on the smaller-scale works to which a parish organist might aspire"..."Ton has done a more than worthy job of ensuring their (the organs) place in recorded history."

Location Maastricht, Limburg - Netherlands

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