Maria Talis,

Dutch composer, conductor, chorist

At the Conservatory in The Hague, Maria Talis studied conducting with e.g. Jan Boogaarts, Ed Spanjaard. Apart from that she has been trained to be a solo, ensemble and choir singer. She has conducted and initiated several ensembles and choirs in many musical styles. As a self made poet and composer she has written songs, pieces for choir, affirmation chants, works for contralto solo with choir/orchestra, and for female choir: the five choral hymns Only Natural and the two lamentations Elegy for the Earth. Her works, often in folk rhythm, modality and on her own words (deepening and with some humour), have been brought out on several CDs, and have been broadcast e.g. on the Dutch classical radio called ‘De Concertzender’. She coaches professional singers (based on a free flowing breath).

Links

Maria Talis is mentioned on these websites:

Compositions

Most of Maria Talis' compositions are in this catalog. Scores can be provided by Talisman Productions.

Listen to a small selection of her compositions

You and I are One

Medio July 2009 Peace Pilgrim's 101st birthday will be celebrated (although she has left the earth). Maria Talis wrote a song for this occasion. And Mayte Picco-Kline will proclaim the poem of this song during the happening. SHEET-MUSIC and AUDIO may be spread for non-profit purposes only. See www.peacepilgrim100.org.

More recordings can be provided by Talisman Productions. Read the words.

Javascript is uitgeschakeld of u heeft geen Flashplayer geïnstalleerd (help).

  1. contralto, choir, viola da gamba & organ, words & music: © Maria Talis
  2. contralto singing and playing piano (Oh Rose), words & music: © Maria Talis
  3. contralto singing and playing table organ (On Bethlehem), words & music: © Maria Talis
  4. contralto singing, playing zither and singing 'noo'; choir (Oh dear baby Jesus), words & music: © Maria Talis
  5. contralto and piano (Flowersong-4), words & music: © Maria Talis
  6. contralto and piano (Flowersong-5), words & music: © Maria Talis
  7. SSMA voices, harp, English & Music: © Maria Talis, w: Hinduism (Sanskrit)
  8. SSMA voices, harp, English & Music: © Maria Talis w: Sufism (Persian/Arabic)
  9. SSMA voices, harp, words (Hebrew) & music: © Maria Talis
  10. SSMA voices, words & music: © Maria Talis
  11. SSMA voices, words & music: © Maria Talis
  12. SSMA voices, words & music: © Maria Talis
  13. SSMA voices, words & music: © Maria Talis
  14. SSMA voices (Holy + Blessed), music: © Maria Talis w: Christian (Latin)
  15. A solo, gamba, orgel, SSMA-koor (Peace), words & music © Maria Talis, (words partly trad. Latin)

Concerts

The places and dates of concerts where works of Maria Talis were performed are listed in this concertlist.

Biography

Maria Talis as a child

Maria Talis (3j)Maria Talis developed from ‘a child of the slum’ into ‘a finely-strung musician’. She did not get a lot of support from her background. Nevertheless she managed to fathom the notation of music and to play some instruments. So she started music groups on the age of twelve for which she also organised concerts. She arranged and composed, quite practically, for these music groups.


Maria Talis as a conductor

She studied conducting with Jan Boogaarts, Jan Eelkema, Jos Vermunt (choral conduction), Ed Spanjaard, Lucas Vis (orchestral conduction), Paul van Nevel (Renaissance), Jos van Veldhoven (Baroque), Daan Manneke (20th Century) and so on, as well as Latin, Gregorian, Liturgie, and transcibation of the Mensural Notation, at the Conservatory in The Hague.

Besides the theory classes of Willem Woestenburg, Eric Lotichius, Daan Manneke, Ineke Kien, and others, she took extra classes like: ‘jazz arranging’, ‘jazz harmony at the piano’, and ‘Theory of Music’.

She has conducted and initiated several ensembles and choirs in many musical styles.

Maria Talis as a singer

She passed through an extended education for solo singing at the Conservatories of Amsterdam and The Hague with Rita Dams, Wout Oosterkamp and Cora Canne Meijer.

Already in her second year she sang as a soloist with singers from the professional Dutch broadcasting choir ‘Het Groot Omroepkoor’. After that, she graduated as a solo singer. She has worked in several professional ensembles, also while singing and conducting at the same time.

In ensembles and choirs she has been conducted by Jan Boogaarts, Dirk Snellings, Jos van Veldhoven, Paul van Nevel, William Christie, Jules van Hessen, Roberto Benzi, Emilio Pomárico, and others. E.g. she sang in THE Santo Pietro in Rome, with a chamber choir from The Hague and Utrecht, conducted by Jan Boogaarts, during the Mass of the Pope.

Conducted by John McArthy she sang in ‘The Ambrosian Singers’, which took her in as a freelancer. She contributed to many concerts, broadcastings of radio and television, CD recordings in Holland and abroad.

As a singing coach she helps professional singers to find a free way of singing, based on the natural breath flow.

Maria Talis as a composer, as a poet

Maria TalisAs a self taught composer and poet, Maria Talis often writes music on her own poetry. She wrote poems in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, and Hebrew. Usually her poems give a deepening impression with or without delicate humour. Simplicity and beauty are her guiding tools.

Willem Woestenburg, Eric Lotichius and Jan Boogaarts stimulated her composing impulses.

In Talis’ works one finds regularly the mediaeval tonalities, partly overlapping the Indian ragas, together with influences of folk music. Talisman Productions edits her scores and recordings.

Her compositions have been performed in Holland and abrought, e.g. in London, Cologne, Berne, Chartres, Mougins and Antwerpen. Her works have been recorded on several CDs and broadcasted by a.o. THE Dutch Concert Radio called ‘Concertzender’.

She writes in diverse styles: from ‘Notre Père’ (French for ‘Our Father’), a Renaissance-like recitativo, up to ‘Maria’s Lullaby’, a more musical minded work for contralto solo, flute solo, six parted female choir and orchestra; from meditative affirmation chants up to for instance: ‘Drei Tage’ (German for ‘Three Days’), referring to Weil/Eisler; from a loverly lullaby up to the cabaresque ‘Peuleschilletje’ (Dutch for ‘Peanuts!’); and besides that her four to twelve parted mass for mixed )double choir ‘Missa Modale Moderna’, works for choir, many songs, and some instrumental works.

In 1997 Talis wrote a.o. ‘Hail Mary’, for contralto solo, six parted mixed choir and orchestra; and ‘Die Rose Gottes’ (German for ‘God’s Rose’) for contralto solo and orchestra, both for the CD of the Rosendael Castle in Gelderland.

In 2002 she received the rights for composing the ‘Flower Fairy Song Cycle’ opus 121, nrs. 1-21, for solo voice and piano (harp) inspired by the wonderful fairy paintings of Cicely Mary Barker, on her accompanying poems.

For three to four parted female choir Maria Talis composed on her own poems the five choral hymns ‘Only Natural’ and two lamentations ‘Elegy for the Earth’. In 2004she wrote for four parted female choir and harp: ‘Hymn to the Light’ on words from the Rig Veda, ‘Wish Fulfilled’ on words from the old Sufism, and ‘Hymn for Sweet Dreams’ on her own words in Hebrew. Most of these works have been performed by the professional ladies ensemble ‘Fontana di Voce’ (Italian for ‘Fountain of Voices’).

In the first half of July of 2006 Maria Talis wrote the libretto and arrangements for the new chamber opera “Betoverd door Mozart” (Dutch for ‘Enchanted by Mozart’). The opera is in Dutch and based on many of Mozart’s Evergreens and motivates us to choose for Love. This chamber opera by Mozart/Talis has been recorded on CD and performed all over Gelderland in October and November of 2006 (see concertagenda) by Laura van den Boogaard (Soprano), Gertie Savelkoul (Mezzo), Angela Andáy (Contralto), Menno Slagter (Tenor) with a few small instruments, Hilda van Haeften on harpsichord and also active audience. Its great success will cause more performances of “Betoverd door Mozart” in 2007.

From 4 to 6 December of 2006 Maria Talis created the new musical “De Kerstengel” (Dutch for ‘The Christmas Angel’). It contains (un)known traditionals like Jingle Bells, parts from Händel’s Messiah and compositions of Maria Talis, who also wrote the libretto and arrangements. Maria’s favourite line in the musical is (translated into English) “Do you know that we, ourselves, can be angels? Not only during Christmas but on every day, how nice!”. That same December, the musical has been recorded on CD and several times performed by Angela Andáy - contralto, Chantal van Bruggen - soprano, Hilda van Haeften - organ and piano, choir of children ‘De Notenkrakertjes’ (Dutch for ‘Little Nutcrackers’) with: Emma Beelen 7y, Anouk vd Meulen 10y, Laura Beunk 11y, Sanette van Noord 12y, Willemijn van Haeften 12y, Lydia Struik 13y, Akira Beelen 14y and also active audience.
Copyright © 2008/2009 angelaprodeo.org - Webdesign: Rinus Luijmes