Simeon, composer of the best known dutch 20th-century 'classical' pianopiece 'Canto ostinato', just died, age 89, he was initially ashamed of this piece, that was 'composed' between '76-'79 and became a hit, and still makes me want to smoke some grass, hearing it, not playing it, there is a 1-piano-version, hard, long and,?

I heard part of it last night on Pauw & Witteman (a Dutch round table news show). I'm personally not knocked out by it. It's New Agey\minimalist with lots or repetition and relatively simple harmonies. It is what it is ... and some folks are drawn to it.

For me this is footnote in the history of music, not a chapter, but that's just my opinion.

that emission at P en W was awful, the piece for me, as I heard it for the 1st time in 1980, live in Utrecht, was a revelation to me, a youngster, groing up with B,B, and B, doing my scales, etc, this made me realise that music could really make the 'house go up' instead of 'down', I recently heard a friend try/perform the 'solo' version, I tried to do it, but I rather leave it to a pair/quartet of good friends, and will sit in everytime it occurs.

They say that deaths come in threes. I hope ten Holt's is the last of this group - the other two being Henze and Carter.

I remember having come across references to "Canto Ostinato" for many years, and was always curious about it. Then, decades after it was written, I finally heard a version of it on YouTube, and was not disappointed - its reputation as a classic of its time is well-deserved. I would imagine that attending a live performance is a pretty amazing experience.

Speaking of amazing - right now, as I type, I'm listening to another similar (and vast) piece of his that I found on YouTube, "Horizon" for four pianos, in a live performance. It's fascinating - I love how good minimalist pieces like this open up the ears and brain.