Frans Geysen - Musical Style

Musical Style

In 1962 he started using serial techniques, but in 1967 turned against the rhythmic aperiodicity and discontinuity characteristic of that technique (Knockaert 2001). Instead, he began to use repetitive rhythmic structures similar to those of American minimalists such as Glass, Reich, Riley, and Young (Spanhove 2004, 10–11), though he developed these rhythmic ideas independently and retained the constructivism of serial thinking (Knockaert 2001). He also continued to use twelve-tone rows often in his music, utilizing rows lacking thirds, perfect fifths, and semitones, in order to avoid suggestions of tonality and mutual attraction between pitches (Spanhove 2004, 11). His music is abstract, excluding emotion as either expression or goal (Knockaert 2001). He explores a purposeful monotony, inspired by the monotony of the landscape of Flanders—and especially its easternmost province, Limburg, where he grew up (Spanhove 2004, 11). His compositions include theatrical works, choral and chamber music, the orchestral Staalkaarten voor een hoboconcert (1991), and many works for piano, organ, and carillon.