Tim Beattie plays ’Habanera’ by Marius Flothuis

Twee Stukken voor gitaar, op. 22: II. Habanera by Marius Flothuis One of the highlights of my tenure as a Rebanks Fellow at @TheRoyalConservatory was recording a few short pieces in Koerner Hall with Riddle Films. Marius Flothuis’ works for guitar are rarely (if ever) heard. As an active member of the Resistance, he had several Jewish refugees permanently hiding in his home before being betrayed and ultimately deported to Camp Vught. In spite of degrading conditions while in captivity, he was still able to compose, and among those compositions written during this period are his ‘Twee Stukken’ for solo guitar. The pieces demonstrate a characteristically tasteful balance of familiar forms and phrase structures, thoroughgoing melody, and deep expressive possibilities. The pieces are almost on the edges of themselves; as twisted, forlorn remembrances of a Folia and Habanera, rendered here in a bleaker ‘now’. I want to express my deepest thanks to Lex Eisen