Lex van Delden
1910 - 1988
For a full biography and a complete list of works with links to scores and recordings, visit www.forbiddenmusicregained.org
Lex van Delden jr. (1947-2010) created a website about his father, with photos and hundreds of reviews and articles written by the composer.
The Utrecht String Quartet recorded a CD with all string quartets by Lex van Delden in 2007 .
“Thanks to the thoroughly convincing performances by the Utrecht String Quartet, which plays these quartets with enormous sympathy and vitality, and the fabulous sound of MDG’s unprocessed recording, Van Delden’s long and unjustly neglected music may have at last found its audience.”
During World War II, Alexander Zwaap had to cover his identity by living under an alias. As of 1953, he legally changed his name to Lex van Delden. His life story is impressive considering the traumatic events he experienced in the war years. A past of which he never spoke, and which he knew to overcome with tremendous courage and resilience. Music was for him a “transfer medium between people.” He literally practiced this with his compositions. Van Delden was a great advocate of Dutch music and held several board positions in the Dutch music world.
Lex van Delden was born on September 10, 1919, in Amsterdam's Jewish quarter, on the Recht Boomssloot. His parents, Wolf and Sarah Zwaap, shared a house with his grandparents. The family was not orthodox Jewish. As a youngster, he loved … Continue
Selected works
Rubáiyát 1948 mixed choir, 2 pianos and percussion
Vocalise op. 29a-bis 1951 cello and piano
Impromptu 1955 harp solo
Piano Concerto 1960 piano and orchestra
Piccolo concerto 1960 12 wind instruments, timpani, percussion and piano
Concert voor twee strijkorkesten 1961
Sinfonia concertante 1964 11 wind instruments
Flute Concerto 1965
Musica notturna a cinque 1967 harp and 4 cellos
String Quartets 1954, 1965, 1979
String Sextet 1971
For a complete list of works by Lex van Delden visit our website Forbidden Music Regained.
Let forbidden music sound again
In the Second World War, many composers were silenced because of their Jewish descent or their resistance. Their music was forbidden. The Leo Smit Stichting carries out research, tells composers' stories, makes sheet music available and performs forgotten music. Together with musicians, programmers, researchers and listeners we give composers their rightful place in music history.
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