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Pak Aan!
* Boum!
Thrilling Thirties *
Holland-America
Line * Comedian
Harmonists
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'Pak Aan!'
vocal cabaret show |
Metro 25 February
2011
"amusing
and very original show"
*
* * * four out of five stars
cultuurpodiumonline.nl April
2011
"Close harmony is the
common thread throughout the program, with a dash
of humor, five singing talents, two musicians, Karel
de Rooij als director with a dose of varieté
and choreographer Hans Minnaert to make sure it
is balanced and beautiful and voilá, an avond
top entertainment."
"No music
style is skipped by the Frommermannen. They manoever
seemlessly between Vader Abraham, French chansons,
via Louis Davids to Mozart and back again and it's
impossible for the the public to be bored for a
second."
"An evening of Frommermann
is a pleasure for everyone that loves great music,
can appreciate good humor and is not afraid to try
something new for a change." |
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'Boum!' cd |
Opera
Nederland March 2011
"delightful"
"Highly recommended!"
* * * * * five out
of five stars |
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NRC
Handelsblad March 2011
Frommermann is a "resounding success" |
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Klassieke
Zaken March 2011
"Frommermann is irresistable" |
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Trouw
March 2011
"very catching"
"inventive arrangements" |
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Gooi-
en Eemlander February
2011
"Frommermann eerily close to the Comedian Harmonists" |
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ZING
magazine February 2011
"The classically trained singers find a nice
balance between the total sound and their individual
qualities. Accompanied by piano, guitar and percussion
they manouever effortlessly between different genres
and languages." |
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| 'Thrilling
Thirties' ('Betoverende Jaren 30') |
Friesch
Dagblad May 2010
"Frommermann's performance was perfection
when it comes to entertainment. Timing, expression,
stage presence, various solo moments, it all fit
seamlessly into the show. The musical level was
extremely high. Vocal use and dynamic nuances fit
sublimely with each number. From the first song
(Ellington) there was an immediate click with the
public. In the two encores the singers took out
all the stops." |
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IJmuider
Courant January 2010
"If each man wearing a striped suit would
sing like the 'suit men' did yesterday, the world
would be a happier place. Sparkling tenors and heavenly
baritones filled the hall with songs from the Great
Depression. There was absolutely nothing depressing
about it." |
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| 'Holland-America
Line' cd |
Luister
spring 2009
"A cd that can cheer up a rainy day...A
nice album with swing, schmaltz en nostalgia, and
even a bit 'camp' in lyrics such as 'The flatter
the plate the fewer the soup' and 'My brother makes
the noises for the radio play". |
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Audiophile
Audition John Sunier,
6 January 2009
four out
of five stars
"My favorite track is the masterful arrangement
of Duke Ellington's 'Rockin' in Rhythm' - what
a kick! There is another Ellington tune, a delightful
'Java Jive', and another surround sound special
on the classic 'Dry bones'. ...Frommermann's special
sound reminds me of the wonderful Chesky SACD
of the Persuasions singing the Beatles." |
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Leeuwarder
Courant Rudolf Nammensma
"Variety of 'unterhaltungsmusik' mixed
with light jazz, in spot on arrangements sung with
verve and craftmanship interpreted by six great
vocalists..." |
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ZingMagazine
January 2009
"The
cd 'Holland-America Line' is a various collection
of fantastically performed numbers...
Few artists concentrate on Dutch song from the first
half of the last century. Luckily enough Frommermann
does that, with much love, great arrangements and
a beautiful ensemble sound." |
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de
Volkskrant Patrick van
den Hanenberg, 18 December 2008
“Comedians tradition continued with class”
four out of five stars
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| 'Holland-Amerika
Lijn' show |
Leeuwarder
Courant Rudolf Nammensma,
20 November 2008
"Frommermann: perfection" |
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Dagblad
van het Noorden Elly van
Plateringen, 19 November 2008
“The
power of Frommermann is in their total quality…Humor
is a steady element that never goes too far. The
stage is commanded by musicians that understand
their profession and still have a great time…The
energy is palpable, the arrangements are transparent.
You can hear every nuance, the gentlemen treat each
other with respect. Each has their own solo, interesting
ensembles, beautiful close harmony. And there is
especially good repertoire, which thankfully this
ensemble has (partly) rescued from obscurity…An
entire evening of top amusement by seven men who
have no intention of stopping. Frommermann is a
goldmine that has long not been exhausted."
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De
Gooi en Eemlander Rudolf
Hunnik, 10 November 2008
“…all of the numbers are enhanced
with old film fragments in the background. Songs
with which the content matches the films are the
most touching. Breathtaking is the ‘Matrozenlied’
with its fantastic images of brave sailors and loose
women. Amusing is the number ‘Dry bones’
with its smooth vocal delays and images of x-rayed
body parts. When the men vocally imitate different
instruments in the jazzy pieces they let down their
guard and you can see how pleasantly disturbed they
can be. Minimal dance moves and sounds of different
small musical instruments ensure a comical note.
David Bollen on the piano is, with his dynamic playing,
the fundament of HAL and Paul Pleijsier as extra
guest on guitar perfectly gives the tempi and rhythms.
All of the men sung transparently in the most complicated
close-harmony formations. Jan-Willem Schaafsma (tenor)
has the mimic of Buster Keaton and together with
Mattijs van de Woerd, they form the most expressive
in the vocal quintet. Beautiful is the sonorous
baritone of Jan Willem Baljet, impressive is the
bass sound of Martijn de Graaf Bierbrauwer and strong
and clear is the tone of Marcel Reijans.
In a nutshell, don’t miss Frommermann’s
Holland-Amerika Lijn.” |
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Zuid-Friesland,
6 November 2008
"Frommermann is a desire for the ear"
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| 'Music
of the Comedian Harmonists' cd |
Classics
Today David Vernier,
18 February 2008
rating: 10 out of
10
"... we don't have to actually
see these six singers to know the sheer fun they're
having; and their musicianship is beyond question.
Songs such as "Stormy Weather" and "Night
and Day" (Nuit et Jour) unashamedly revel in
sheer schmaltz, while "Kannst du pfeifen Johanna?",
and "Der Onkel Bumba aus Kalumba" are
riotous examples of the kinds of songs one might
have heard in Sally Bowles' infamous Kit Kat Klub.
Of course, the real test of the singers' virtuosity
comes in the arrangement of Rossini's Barber of
Seville overture, a classic of the genre (yes, there
is a genre!) and a real tour de force that these
superb musicians nail convincingly, and again, with
the requisite, irresistible humor."
"These performances project a live-concert
spontaneity and energy, enhanced by the realistic,
best-seat-in-the-cabaret ambience. Highly recommended!
" |
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de
Volkskrant Frits van der
Waa, 13 December 2007
four out of five stars
"A
glorious assortment of sentiment and style pass
by in nineteen numbers. French chansons flanked
by exotic quasi-Spanish or Arabic sounds. In contrast
to silly songs such as Der Onkel Bumba aus Kalumba
or the Comedians anthem Mein kleiner grüner
Kaktus stand romantic song settings and even
a Dutch translation of an inimitable text as Rikketik
flik flak smik smak dikke mik, Iene miene Frommermann
de baas...(a) delightful cd." |
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HP/de
Tijd 2 November 2007
four out of five stars
".....More
than a half century later this (genre of) music
still seems....as contagious. Certainly in the version
of the Dutch ensemble Frommermann. Listen to the
virtuosic Ouverture from the Barbier
van Sevilla and the splendid In einem kühlen
Grunde and you realize that there is something
special happening. Would the original - that I vaguely
know from a crackling record from my grandma and
grandpa - sound so inviting and technically perfect?" |
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| 'Broken
Silence' show |
www.CultuurPodium.nl
Annemiek Barnouw, 23 February
2008
"Frommermann brings nostalgic repertoire with
humor"
"Hilarious numbers such as Mein kleiner
grüner Kaktus, Kannst du pfeifen Johanna
and Der Unkel Bumba aus Kalumba aren't
only vocally performed perfectly but also fit visually
perfectly with the direction of Peter Blok."
"Frommermann is an absolute must for everyone
that loves vocal music, light music, interbellum
art, Berlin - so, it's for actually everyone." |
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www.audio-muziek.nl
Paul Korenhof, October 2007
"...there especially isn't a doubt
about one thing: to really experience Frommermann
you have to go to a performance. It is unimaginable
that five singers and a pianist can create so much
theater with only a glass of water and a few spotlights,
but it speaks to the real essence of theater: illusion.
Aside from the high technical level of their performances,
together with their enormous spontaneity, the greatest
strength of Frommermann is that they constantly
play with the musical fantasy of their public......Whoever
has feeling for humor and music, can hardly be disappointed." |
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