Copy The Enchanted Forest - Organ and Flute - Wonder Circle

In The Enchanted Forest, a project by organist Willem Tanke and flautist Martijn Alsters, associative relations between sounds, images  and words replace a logical storyline. They  leave impressions which may be different  for everyone in the audience, but have a  similar basic pattern or "blueprint" in the  subconscious mind. Consequently, The Enchanted Forest has an archetypal quality that surpasses differences in cultural  background, race and religion. The listener  may experience a feeling of being in an alternative,  timeless world.

The Enchanted Forest has a strong message,  namely that creativity, spiritual force and imagination can transform negative energy  into positive energy. 

Music example: Birds, Drums and Signals for organ and flute

The music contains a rich variety of moods such as  stillness, exaltation, longing and affectionate emotion. Forces of nature, such as may be found in a storm, are  also depicted. It is essential to recognize a mood of  childlike, naive joy of playing; a quality which is hard  to find in contemporary classical music. In this respect, Martijn Alsters and Willem Tanke feel inspired by

18th century music, in which an uncomplicated joy  of playing was an obvious means of expression.  They relate to the 18th century in other respects  as well and present their music with depth, transparency and accessibility. 

Duration: about 58 minutes

Optional: Jan Dom's Wonder Circle

Wonder Circle is a moving object in the shape of a ´wandering´ giant circle made of spring steel. The visual effect is enchanting and it is almost impossible to imagine that the movement of the circle takes place in time and space. A hallucinating experience thjat surpasses reality and gives The Enchanted Forest an extra dimension: a timeless world of music and movement. 

Copy Biography Nederlands 4.11.2018

Willem Tanke werd geboren in Hengelo in 1959 en kreeg als kind pianoles van Jan Ensink. Later werd het orgel zijn favoriete instrument door inspirerende lessen van Rudi van Straten aan de Muziekschool Hengelo. Van 1977 tot 1986  studeerde hij aan het Utrechts Conservatorium bij Jan Welmers (hoofdvak orgel en improvisatie), Joep Straesser (hoofdvak theorie) en Ton Bruynel (bijvak elektronische muziek). In 1986 sloot hij zijn studie met onderscheiding af.  In het eerste deel van zijn loopbaan specialiseerde Tanke zich in composities van Olivier Messiaen, Max Reger en hedendaagse componisten. Zijn CD-opnames van de volledige werken van Messiaen, Regers monumentale Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema Op. 73 en orgelwerken van Jan Welmers, Ton Bruynel en Roderik de Man werden zeer goed ontvangen.  In de 21e eeuw raakte Willem Tanke in toenemende mate bekend als improvisator en uitvoerend componist. Zijn CD’s My friend the Indian and other pieces, Imaginary Day, Two Wind Fantasies and Meditations for a Lent getuigen van een originele en vernieuwende manier van orgelspelen. De criticus Ralph Blakely beschouwde Willem Tanke in The American Record Guide als een leidend en richtinggevend musicus in de 21e eeuw.  Willem Tanke was docent hoofdvak orgel aan de Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht van 1988 to 2000. Sinds 2001 is hij als docent theorie en improvisatie verbonden aan Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, in Rotterdam. Als pianist geeft hij een nieuwe dimensie aan avant-garde jazz, avant-pop en hedendaagse klassieke muziek, onder meer door het spelen van complexe, vernieuwende grooves en het gebruik van vogelgezangen van Messiaen in een volledig nieuwe context.  Willem Tanke ontving het "Diplôme de Médaille d’argent" van de "Société Académique d’Éducation et d’Encouragement “Arts-Sciences-Lettres” (Prix Thorlet) in 2000 en de Schnittger Droomprijs in 2015.

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Copy Biography English 4.11.2018

Willem Tanke studied organ and improvisation with Jan Welmers, music theory with Joep Straesser and electronic music with Ton Bruynel at Utrecht Conservatory. In 1985, he finished his studies with the Performance Diploma for Organ with full marks (the grade of 10 and honours), and also with diplomas for music theory and improvisation. 

In the early part of his career, Willem Tanke specialized in organ works by Olivier Messiaen, Max Reger and contemporary composers. His CD recordings of Messiaen's oeuvre, Reger's Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema Op. 73 and organ works by Jan Welmers, Ton Bruynel and Roderik de Man have been critically acclaimed. In 1994 Willem Tanke was the first organist to perform Messiaen's complete organ works in Mexico.

In the 21st century, Willem Tanke became increasingly known as an improviser and a performing composer. His CDs My friend the Indian and other pieces, Imaginary Day, Two Wind Fantasies and Meditations for a Lent show a unique, innovative way of organ playing. As a pianist he stretches the boundaries of contemporary classical music and avant-garde jazz, among other things by playing complex, innovative grooves and using bird song passages by Messiaen in an entirely new context. The music critic Ralph Blakely regarded Willem Tanke in the American Record Guide as a leading musician in the 21st century.

He was a professor of organ as a main subject at Utrecht University of Professional Arts Education from 1988 until 2000. Since 2001, he has been teaching theory and improvisation at Codarts, University for the Arts, Rotterdam. 

Willem Tanke was awarded the "Diplôme de Médaille d’argent" of the "Société Académique d’Éducation et d’Encouragement “Arts-Sciences-Lettres” (Prix Thorlet) in 2000 and the Schnittger Dream Prize in 2015. 

Copy Projects 3.11.2018

2018 Music For A Summer In Holland for synthesizers/keyboards

2018 Playing Keyboard Instruments in the 21st Century

2018 The Enchanted Forest a collection of pieces for organ solo (under construction)

2017  Wonder Circle with flautist Martijn Alsters and visual artist Jan Doms (not yet realised)

2017 Olivier Messiaen et la Grotte des Sons Perdus  a musical and spiritual dialogue with Olivier Messiaen

2016 The Enchanted Desert for organ, flute and percussion and with dance and performance

2008 Album for two pianos - Mike Garson and Willem Tanke (not yet issued)

2008 2 DVD-set Olivier Messiaen Livre d’ orgue/organ works 

2007 Remastered 8 CD-box Olivier Messiaen Complete Organ Works

2007 Super Audio CD Meditations for a lent for organ solo

2006 Super Audio CD Max Reger - Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema Op. 73 - Two Wind Fantasies

2006 DVD Ways of Intensity for piano solo

2005 CD Imaginary Day - 21 Fantasies for organ

2002 WIND with Vidna Obmana and visual artist Jan Doms, Biennale Rotterdam

2001 CD My friend the Indian and other pieces with Hans Kulk, analogue synthesizer, Martijn Alsters, wind midi controller and René van Commenée, percussion

1998 8 CD-box Olivier Messiaen Complete Organ Works
1997 CD Spiritual Homeland for Yamaha SY99 synthesizer

Copy website 3.11.2018

Willem Tanke is mainly known for his 8 CDs with the complete organ works by Olivier Messiaen. Recorded on six evenings in 1994 and with only two edits, these have been critically acclaimed for virtuosity and emotional impact. 

Olivier Messiaen - Complete Organ Works on Spotify

Buy 8 CD-set Olivier Messiaen Complete Organ Works

Willem Tanke's ideal of playing keyboard instruments is based on observations by contemporaries of J.S. Bach about his organ playing, from which it appears that he achieved a huge expression with very small movements of hand and feet only.

His Bach interpretation is rooted in the historically informed performance practice:

J.S. Bach - Fugue in g minor BWV 578 played on the ancient Freytag organ in Noordwolde with wind supply from bellows

J.S. Bach - Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter BWV 650 played on the ancient Freytag organ in Noordwolde

In 2018 Willem Tanke made high resolution audio recordings of Bach's trio sonatas BWV 525 - 530 that are particularly cheerful, elegant and expressive.

J.S. Bach - Sonata in C major BWV 529, first movement

Regarding the music of Bach and Messiaen music as a continuous journey, Tanke feels like coming home when playing Max Reger. His interpretation of Reger's magnificent and monumental Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema Op. 73 (issued on SuperAudio CD) and Fantasie und Fuge Op. 135b is of true grandeur:

Max Reger - Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema fis-moll Op. 73 Adema organ Kathedrale Basiliek Sint Bavo Haarlem

Max Reger - Fantasie und Fuge d-moll Op. 135b Müller organ St. Bavokerk Haarlem

As a composer and an improviser Willem Tanke has been developing an original and innovative language since the late '70s.  Ralph Blakely wrote about the SuperAudio CD Meditations for a lent:  "I believe it may be the most important recording I’ve reviewed for ARG. Tanke wrote that he intended to explore the direction music is headed in the 21st century. If that be so, I am excited about where it is going."

Birds, Drums, Signals, Loops & Scales 

On the synthesizer/keyboard He leaves the context of Western classical music:

Spiritual Homeland - The Park

Tanke documents his expertise on a separate website including an educational section:

Playing Keyboard Instruments in the 21st Century [UNDER COSTRUCTION]

The Art of Doing Nothing - Practicing with passion, precision and patience [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]