Antwerp and music

History

Architecture

Although Antwerp today is known for its port, its diamonds or for the painter Pierre Paul Rubens, it is impossible to dissociate the city, and Flanders more generally, from the history of music. Antwerp has a long musical tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. It still upholds this tradition today with the Vlaamse Opera (Flemish Opera) and through a policy of seeking out and training new musicians.

In the Middle Ages, music played a predominant role in Flemish towns. It developed first of all in the abbeys, with liturgical singing. A great many documents on Gregorian Chant dating from the 10th and 12th centuries have been found in the abbeys. The popularity of this singing meant that it soon passed beyond the walls of the abbeys into the town’s Catholic or collegiate churches, and finally reached the princely courts. Around 1502, Antwerp’s musicians founded a chapel and formed the Guild of St Job. This enabled them to share their common interest and, with the agreement of the municipal authority, they decided on the conditions for admission, organisation and teaching in musical ensembles. This guild was entirely dedicated to secular and instrumental music. One if its principal aims (and a resource for master musicians) was to provide for the teaching of music. Many foreign musicians then came to Antwerp where they found security and lots of work opportunities. Among the composers of this period, we can mention E. Adrianssen, known internationally for his three anthologies of lute music, his pupil Joachim Van den Hove, the lutenist and composer Gregory Huet and Adriaan Denss (who was probably also from Antwerp).

Antwerp’s musical tradition is also remarkable for the skills of its harpsichord and stringed-instrument makers. Most of the harpsichords still in existence today come from the Ruckers family, whose production is archetypal of the Flemish school. It was notably with Hans Ruckers, in 1580, that the making of harpsichords went through a major change when he reinforced the instrument, making it more solid than its Italian counterpart. The Flemish model then served as a benchmark for the other countries of Western Europe (essentially France, England and Germany).

Moreover, it is important to remember the influence of printing on the dissemination of music. From 1501 onwards a number of very active publishing houses were founded in Paris, Lyon, Nuremberg, Antwerp and Leuven. Their international circulation created a market that encouraged composers, which in turn led to an increased number of works.

These publishing houses have gone today and the stringed-instrument and harpsichord makers are becoming rarer. However Eugène Ysaÿe, Jacqueline Fontyn, Ernest Van Dyck, Jos van Immerseel and many others have become the pride of Antwerp, which remains a musical destination and continues to contribute its fair share of musicians.

DE VLAAMSE OPERA
Flanders Opera is not only Flanders' single opera house, with two magnificent buildings in Antwerp and Ghent, but also a main player in the international field.
The Antwerp opera house has reopened in November 2007, after a huge renovation of the backstage areas, to celebrate the Vlaamse Opera’s 100th Anniversary.

At the request of composer Peter Benoit and a group of Flemish nationalists, the Mayor of Antwerp, Jan Van Riswijck commissioned an opera house to be built in 1899. It was built between 1904 and 1907 under the direction of architects Alexis Van Mechelen and E. van Averbeke. It was designated a “Royal Opera House” in 1920.
The Neo-baroque building with its sumptuous Louis XVI style met with immediate success. The oval foyer is lined in pink marble and the paintings are by Emile Vloors. The foyer is the only room in the opera house to have been completely renovated to improve its acoustics. The main auditorium, in the shape of an amphitheatre, seats 1006 people. The ceiling, by Karel Mertens, depicts an allegory of rhythm embodied by a man surrounded by muses.
Originally operas were performed in Flemish. In 1960, at the instigation of the new director many works were given their Belgian premiere at Antwerp. Since 1989, a new organisation “De Vlaamse Opera” brought the stages of Ghent and Antwerp together. Since then it has played a significant role in music at international level, alternating contemporary, baroque and classical seasons. The programme of the Vlaamse Opera promotes young performers at the same time as regularly inviting international musicians. www.vlaamseopera.be

SYMFONIEORKEST VAN VLAANDEREN: The Flemish Symphony Orchestra is composed of some sixty musicians who perform a varied series of concerts to great acclaim in the major Flemish cities (Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent…). Its programme is characterised by musical diversity and originality based on a subtle combination of traditional masterpieces from the major symphonic repertoire and less well known works. In order to contribute to enriching the contemporary repertoire, each year it commissions new work from a composer, preferably Flemish. Through this scheme the orchestra has contributed to the creation of works by Mauricio Kagel, Roland Coryn, Daniël Schroyens, Jan Van Landeghem, Rudi Tas and Paul Carr.
Founded in 1960 by Dirk Varendonck, the orchestra has seen a succession of conductors: Patrick Peire, Robert Groslot and Fabrice Bollon. It owes its international renown to David Agnus. Since October 2004, Flemish conductor Etienne Siebens has taken over and he has brought in a harmonious combination of quality, innovation and enthusiasm.

KONINGIN ELISABETHZAAL: The Koningin Elisabethzaal is part of the Flanders Congress & Concert Centre, and is a beautiful piece of architecture. It is the biggest auditorium with capacity to seat between 500 and 2000 people. The hall also boasts excellent acoustics.

DESINGEL :
deSingel is the Flemish arts centre par excellence. Its architect, Léon Stynen, has created a unique infrastructure in which the interaction between the various disciplines – architecture, music, theatre and dance – is closely related to the design of the building. deSingel offers performers and audiences alike a stage that guarantees the highest international quality, with top names but above with all young performers who are brave enough to take up the challenge and aim for the highest quality.

AUGUSTINUS MUZIEKCENTRUM : The Augustinus Muziekcentrum is Antwerp’s new concert hall. Since January 2006, the restored and converted baroque St Augustine’s Church has been hosting mainly baroque music but also recitals of chamber music. Young talented ensembles will be in residence at the hall. The AMUZ is keen to reach a diverse and varied audience through its programming.

Antwerp’s entire history has been bound up with its location along the River Scheldt.
Although Antwerp has existed since Gallo-Roman times, its actual foundation dates back only to around the year 900 when people settled on the Aanwerp, an alluvial mound on the riverbank which gave its name to the town. In 970, Antwerp became a frontier post for the Germanic empire; wooden fortifications were built here, later replaced by a stone fortress (the Steen). The town continued to extend towards the South, and Saint Norbert had St Michael’s Abbey built in the 12th century. Later on the canons of the small church moved to the north and founded a new parish, with the Church of Our Lady, the forerunner of the present-day cathedral, at its centre. In the following years, the city continued to grow in concentric waves, creating a succession of ramparts which can still be made out in the city’s topography.

During the 16th century Antwerp was the scene of a political and religious struggle between the Protestant North and Catholic Spain. This war ended with the Fall of Antwerp in 1585. The city then fell into the hands of Philip II and the Netherlands closed access to the River Scheldt, which of course had disastrous consequences for the city’s economy. Abandoned by the Protestants as well as by the commercial and intellectual elite, Antwerp saw its population fall by half in fewer than 20 years. However, up till the middle of the 17th century, Antwerp experienced its golden age thanks to the presence of artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens and Teniers or the sculptor families Quellin and Verbrugghen, as well as the Moretus printers and the famous Antwerp harpsichord makers.
Antwerp changed little from 1650 to the 19th century. The Scheldt was reopened (1795) and a modern port began to take shape, although the English embargo and the Napoleonic wars prevented the city from developing and it suffered a great deal of pillaging and destruction.

After Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo (1815) there was a brief reunification with the Northern Netherlands and a period of growth, which ended with the Belgian Revolution (1830) and the closing once more of the Scheldt. Navigation was not to become finally free until 1863.
Apart from the Middle Ages and the 15th century, the real growth of Antwerp took place only from the 19th century onwards. After that the 20th century, excluding the black periods of the two world wars, was a period of continuous growth for Antwerp, which was designated European Culture Capital in 1993, and for its economy, thanks to a port which is today Europe’s second port after Rotterdam. The reputation of Antwerp’s diamond merchants has also contributed to the city’s economic and cultural development.

Antwerp – combining Flemish Architecture and Art Nouveau.
Antwerp, a maritime and industrial centre, is also a cultural and artistic hub. The architectural originality of old Antwerp lies in its boulevards, built to replace the surrounding walls of the old city. From its past Antwerp has retained the town hall influenced by the Italian Renaissance and the Gothic St Paul’s Church, both of which were completed in the 16th century, as well as medieval houses around the market square. Churches such as St James’, Gothic in style, or St Augustine’s, decorated with baroque furnishings, are further examples of the city’s architectural riches. The Cathedral of Our Lady is the largest Gothic church in Belgium.

Some Highlights

Some Highlights

Gardens & in the surrounding area

The Stadhuis (Town Hall)
Built between 1561 and 1564, the town hall stands on the Grote Markt. The façade of this Renaissance-style building measures 74 metres in length, features dormer windows, and mingles Flemish elements with Italian influences. The interiors of the building were renovated in the 19th century.

The Brabo Fountain
The final distinctive feature of the Grote Markt is the fountain erected in the centre of the square in 1887. It represents Silvius Brabo, a soldier of Julius Caesar in the Roman Empire, holding up the severed hand of the giant Druon Antigoon.

Vleeshuis (Butchers’ Hall)
In the middle of the newly renovated residential district stands the Butchers’ Hall. This elegant Gothic-style construction of red brick and white stone was built between 1501 and 1503. It was designed by the architect De Waghemakere for the Antwerp Butchers’ Guild. After the French Revolution the guilds were abolished and the Butchers’ Hall lost its original function. It was later used as a theatre, then as a wine cellar. At the end of the 19th century the building was bought by the city and turned into a museum of archaeology and applied arts.

Cathedral of Our Lady
A magnificent Gothic building, its construction took from 1352 to 1530. Considered one of the pinnacles of Brabant Gothic art, its main tower stands 123 metres high. Renowned for the works of art it contains, the cathedral has two paintings by Pierre Paul Rubens: “The Raising of the Cross” and “The Descent from the Cross”.

The “Steen” (literally: Stone)
In Antwerp the Steen is the name by which the castle at the entrance to the city is known. The oldest stone building in Antwerp, the castle has been renovated many times and was probably built in the 13th century. In 1520, the building was renovated by architects Keldermans and De Waghemakere. From 1549 to 1823 the “Steen” was used as a prison, then in 1862 as an Archaeological Museum. Since 1952, the building has housed the National Navigation Museum.

“The Zuid” quarter
The Art-Deco quarter. Situated around Berchem station, the Zuid (South) is unique in Europe. A mixture of many architectural styles, Neo-Gothic style buildings stand opposite Art-Nouveau, Neo-Classical or even Neo-Renaissance buildings. It is however the Art-Deco residences that predominate.

Rubens’ House
In a street adjacent to the “Meir” (main shopping street), stands Rubens’ house, in which the painter lived from 1616 until his death. Baroque Renaissance in style, the building has a magnificent garden as well as an impressive entrance. It is in this house that the master produced his most magnificent paintings.

The Zoological Garden: Internationally renowned, this zoo was established in the 19th century and was intended to promote zoological and botanical sciences through animals. The zoo’s outstanding features are its buildings which today are listed.

Antwerp Botanical Garden: Antwerp Botanical Garden is a green oasis in the busy centre of the city. It contains a substantial number of remarkable shrubs and trees. The herbal collection comprises some 2000 species.

Rivierenhof provincial estate: The vast 130-ha park with its large lakes contains Rivierenhof castle and is one of the city’s green lungs. The park is perfect for walkers, cyclists, joggers and fishermen…
Theatre is performed in the park in the summer.

Beguine Convent: This is a peaceful secluded garden beside the university in the city centre. The Beguine Convent with St Catherine’s Church is a very green garden which illustrates working-class Antwerp of the 16th century.

Nachtegalenpark : This park, the name of which means “Nightingale Park”, is a complex of green spaces in the south of the city. With an area of 90 hectares, it is the collective name of the Vogelzang, Den Brandt and Middelheim parks.

Municipal Park: This park, which caters for nature and culture, is in the heart of the city. It is a remnant of the Herentals Fort, an outer stronghold of the 16th-century ramparts.

Gardens & in the surrounding area

  Food & Drink

Festivals

Ghent: Approximately 100 km from Antwerp. The town offers a pleasant walk along its cobbled streets, which form an architectural lacework. Several events have brought fame to Ghent. Indeed the town has European recognition for its Gentse Feesten (Ghent Festival) (in July) with music, street theatre and puppets. Ghent also holds a Flower Show every five years.
Finally, the Flanders International Film Festival takes place in the autumn.

Het Sterckshof: Situated in the province of Antwerp, the Sterckshof is home to the Silver Museum. The mansion has several rooms dating from the 16th century.

Kalmthout Arboretum: 12 km north of Antwerp, Kalmthout Arboretum affords a very harmonious environment. This park was created by horticulturalist Charles Van Geert, who moved here in 1857. With 10 hectares, over 6000 rare trees, shrubs and hardy plants, Kalmthout boasts a unique collection: witch hazels, flowering cherries, magnolias, syringas (lilacs), hydrangeas, hostas, etc ...

Mechelen: Archbishopric of Belgium, on the River Dijle and the Leuven Canal, Mechelen has an illustrious past. The medieval enclosure has largely disappeared, but the Brussels Gate escaped the wave of destruction in the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to the charm of the town, Mechelen is also famous today for its Planckendael animal park, its theatre of Miniatures and Toy Museum.

Savoury dishes:
Egg Meulemeester style
Mechelen soup
Flemish beef stew
Waterzooi: Chicken and vegetable casserole
Hutsepot stew
“Carbonnades” meat cooked with brown beer
Eel in chervil sauce
Rabbit with beer sauce
Brabant-style pheasant

Sweet dishes:
Antwerpse Handjes (the Antwerp Hand): biscuits made with butter or chocolate, with or without marzipan
Antwerps gebak: between a biscuit and a cake, covered with almonds, apricot jam and icing sugar
Semini biscuit: a light sweet biscuit with sesame seeds and a marzipan image of the Antwerp fertility symbol, Semini
Mokken: small round biscuits made of flour and syrup

Alcoholic drinks:
Beers: From the De Koninck brewery, “bolleke”, “cuvee”, golden blond “antoon” and “Winterkoninck” are the city’s beers. Altogether over 400 beers are brewed in Flanders.
Worth visiting: the ’t Pakhuis brewery explains the whole brewing process of “Antwerps blond”, “Antwerps bruin” and “Den Bangelijke” (the terrible).

Elixir d’Anvers: A liqueur with digestive properties based on 32 plants and spices, prepared according to a tradition dating back to 1863.

Van Vlaanderen Festival:
Founded in 1958 for the Brussels World Fair, the Flanders Festival was concentrated in Ghent, Antwerp and Tongres. It quickly spread to Bruges and Brussels, then to Leuven and into the east of Flanders. During the autumn, the churches, ancient abbeys and other historic monuments are turned into concert venues.

Zomer van Antwerpen (Antwerp Summer Festival): During July and August, Antwerp hosts over 500 shows. Music from the four corners of the globe, open-air film screenings, circus performances, theatre, and more.

Customs:

Battle of the Golden Spurs: On 11 July Flanders celebrates its victory over the French. On this day in 1302, the feudal army of Philip the Fair met the town militias of Flanders in the area around the fortress of Kortrijk (Courtai). After the battle, the Flemish gathered from the mud the ornaments abandoned by the French knights. These famous golden spurs went on to decorate the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk. Today, many Belgians and especially the Flemish see this victory as the birth of their nation.

National Day: On 21 July 1831 the first king of the Belgians, Leopold I, pledged the constitutional oath, thereby swearing to uphold the Belgian constitution drawn up by the National Congress and recognised on 7 February 1831, as well as Belgian laws.

King’s Feast: 15 November is in fact the name day of Leopold (in the German Liturgical Calendar) and of Albert (in the General Roman Calendar). In 1951, King Baudouin decided to keep this date, as did his brother King Albert II.

Traditions :

Lange Wapper: This is a legendary troublesome devil. According to 16th-century legends, Lange Wapper likes to stay close to the water. He takes the greatest pleasure in wandering along the banks of the Scheldt, in Antwerp. A depiction of the monster can be seen just in front of the Steen. Lange Wapper is capable of assuming the size of a child or of a colossus. With one giant step, he can stride from Burcht to Hoboken; he annoys drunks and aims kicks at children… The troublesome devil is even today an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary artists.

Carnival: In Flanders, carnival is inspired from German customs. It is a popular festival in which almost everyone takes part. The floats and masks change each year to reflect topical themes.

Things to Do

Hôtels

Restaurants  

Mayer Van Den Bergh Museum: This Museum houses a collection that belonged to the collector Fritz Mayer Van den Bergh. Among the many masterpieces are paintings dating from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. An impressive collection that has been preserved in its entirety!

Butchers’ Hall Museum (Vleeshuis): In addition to its attractive architecture, the Butchers’ Hall is also the city’s archaeology museum.

Middelheim Open Air Sculpture Museum: Standing in a park across the Ring highway, the collection comprises over 300 works of art, the oldest of which is the work of Auguste Rodin. Other great masterpieces are on display by sculptors such as Rik Wouters, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and Vic Gentils.

Museum of Contemporary Art (MUHKA): The Museum was originally a grain silo. Since 1987 it has housed many modern works of art, and fascinates passers by with its architecture. It is the pride and joy of the inhabitants of the famous “Zuid” district. In its 4000 m², the museum houses works of art from the 1970s to the present day.

Plantin-Moretus Museum: Located in the old town, the museum is in a 16th-century house that was originally a printing works. It was founded and run by Christoffel Plantijn, then enlarged in the 17th and 18th centuries by his heirs, the Moretus family. The Museum illustrates the development of printing from the 15th to the 18th century.

Radisson SAS Park Lane Hotel Antwerp *****
Van Eycklei 34
2018 Anvers
Tél. +32 (0)3 285 85 85

Opposite the park. The hotel offers exceptional comfort. With all the necessary facilities for relaxation (swimming pool, Jacuzzi, solarium, sauna, etc), the Radisson SAS Park Lane is a genuine haven of peace.

Astrid Park Plaza ****
Koningin Astridplein 7
2018 Anvers
Tél. +32 (0)3 203 12 34

In the heart of the diamond city and a stone’s throw from the main shopping streets, the Astrid Park Plaza hotel is an ideal centre for business or leisure trips. Furthermore, the hotel boasts its own very fashionable restaurant “The Square”.

Golden Tulip Carlton ****
Quinten Matsijslei 25
2018 Anvers
Tel. +32 (0)3 231 15 15

In the city centre, the Golden Tulip Carlton enjoys a magnificent view over the park.

Rubens Grote Markt ****
Oude Beurs 29
2000 Anvers
Tél. +32 (0)3 222 48 48

With a garden, a patio and colonnades, the hotel is an oasis of peace and luxury. The warm welcome and personal service it offers makes this an exceptional hotel.

Theater Hotel ****
Arenbergstraat 30
2000 Anvers
Tél. +32 (0)3 203 54 10

In a peaceful location in the old town, near Rubens’ house and the shopping streets, the hotel has a contemporary restaurant called the “Carrousel”.

Hilton Antwerp ****
Groenplaats
2000 Anvers
Tél. +32 (0)3 204 12 12

In the heart of the historic district. This hotel offers every amenity in a bustling city, with museums, cafés, restaurants and shops in close proximity.

Het Verschil
Type of cuisine: International - Fusion
Bredabaan 273
2930 BRASSCHAAT (Anvers)

Het Pomphuis
Type of cuisine: French
Siberiastraat Z/N (voormalig droogdok 7)
2030 ANVERS

De Pastorie
Type of cuisine: French
Eikenlei 60
2960 ST. JOB IN'T GOOR (Anvers)

Rooden Hoed
Type of cuisine: Belgian
Oude Koornmarkt 25
2000 ANVERS

Il Cielo
Type of cuisine: Italian
Gelmelstraat 6
2320 HOOGSTRATEN (Anvers)

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