It is with great sadness that I received the news of the death of composer Theo Verbey in October 2019. Theo was a peculiar person - private and gentle, but also very funny and amiable. He is often remembered for his craftsmanship (and rightly so; he always knew exactly how to write for each instrument), but I also remember him for his unique musical language. His music was different from that of the other Dutch composers of his time - lyrical and with rich harmonic textures, calculating and intuitive at the same time.
Theo had already written a piece for trombone and orchestra (LIED, written for Jörgen van Rijen), when he wrote his Ballade for trombone and piano, for Andrea Vasi and me. It is an incredible addition to the repertoire, and a very powerful and personal piece. It ends with a Bachian setting of the choral O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid!, as an in memoriam for Theo's mother, who passed away when he was writing Ballade.
O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid!
Ist das nicht zu beklagen?
Gottes Vaters einigs Kind wird zu Grab getragen.