The encounter with the voice of Aafje Heynis is often a life-changing experience. Possessing a rare, velvet-toned alto that seems to carry the weight of centuries, she leads us into one of Antonio Vivaldi’s most enigmatic works: “Filiae maestae Jerusalem,” RV 638. This is an “Introduzione”—a vocal prelude intended to set a somber psychological stage for the “Miserere” that follows. In this historic 1966 recording, we witness a Vivaldi stripped of his Venetian sunshine, replaced by the long, cold shadows of the crucifixion. Vivaldi’s approach to the Passion is a stark departure from the established faith found in J.S. Bach. While Bach often describes the sepulchre with the calm certainty of divine fulfillment, Vivaldi regards this scene as a human tragedy. He leads us straight to the crucial point: the death of Christ is felt as the end of all hope, revealed in final, lonely despair. This is the essence of Vivaldi’s “terrible humanity”—a raw focus on the visceral agony of loss that reaches Christ only through the shadows of belief. The text calls upon the “sad daughters of Jerusalem” to find their bridegroom. However, this is no joyful procession. The music creates a startling atmospheric shift when the lyrics reveal the destination: the Bridegroom is found not in flowery gardens, but on the bloody heights of Mount Calvary. Vivaldi uses “con sordino” strings and low registers to craft a sense of impending doom. When the word “Calvario” is uttered, the harmony takes a sudden, dark turn—a musical eclipse signifying the end of earthly hope. It is a profound exploration of grief where divinity and humanity intersect in the face of death. While modern countertenors often bring a vibrant energy to Baroque music, listening to Aafje Heynis opens a door to a different dimension. Her restrained, almost stoic delivery is a faithful execution of the “command of silence” hidden within the score. In the aria “Sileant Zephiri,” as she sings for the winds to fall silent, we feel the very pulse of nature stop in deference to the dying King. Where modern interpretations often shine with decorative brilliance, Heynis fills the space with the raw essence of tragedy, capturing the literal breath of the score. This recording is a bridge across time. Heynis offers a dignified lament that makes the tragedy feel unavoidable. As the work concludes, it leaves a lingering sense of coldness—the same “frozen blood” Vivaldi would later explore in operas like “Il Farnace.” It is a testament that Vivaldi’s genius extended beyond the seasons of nature to the most difficult seasons of the human soul. We realize that profound beauty often exists in the most desolate places, provided there is a voice like Heynis’s to guide us through the dark. [Performance Information] Aafje Heynis, alto Angelo Ephrikian, cond. I Solisti Di Milano
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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Agnus Dei (from Mass in B Minor, BWV 232) Aafje Heynis, Contralto Wiener Philharmoniker Conducted by Hans Gillesberger
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/ 1960 / … Aafje Heynis–contralto
Piet van Egmond—keyboard
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Szymon Goldberg—conductor
“Born: May 2, 1924 – Krommenie, the Netherlands
Died: December 16, 2015 – Huizen, the Netherlands.
When the Netherlands were liberated in May 1945, the jubilation in the Zaan region (North Holland) reached the same unsurpassed level as everywhere else. A man hit on the idea of wheeling his old, brown piano out on to the street. He sat down and began to play a patriotic song, naturally, with bystanders joining in with utmost emotion. Suddenly someone in the crowd cried:”There’s a real singer living just near by. She must join us.”A few minutes later some bystanders brought a young lady, somewhat thin, smiling shyly, for she was shy by nature: Aafje Heynis. There were cries of “sing, sing!” Standing by the old piano she began to sing George Frideric Handel’s “Dank sei dir, Herr”. It became completely still, and people began to weep. Aafje’s beautiful timbre, her own emotion, the splendid melody, the greatness of the occasion (freedom after five years of German occupation), all these cast a spell on the dozens of witnesses. “Never again have I been able to sing Handel quite like that”, the famous contralto was later to say. Five years earlier Aafje Heynis has been “discovered”. On the advice of the conductor of the choral society in her native town of Krommenie she auditioned for the teacher Jo Immink in Amsterdam with an arrangement of the “Pilgrims’ Chorus” from Wagner’s Tannhauser. After that from 1946 to 1949, her singing teacher was the great Aaltje Noordewier-Reddingius. She then benefited from the good advice of Laurens Bogtman, the great oratorio singer, and finally Roy Henderson, Kathleen Ferrier’s teacher, told her that although her voice did not resemble that of the famous English singer she was still destinated for a great future because of her unique voice. She quickly established her reputation, to begin with in the field of oratorio. With her performance in Johannes Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Eduard van Beinum, she attracted wide attention. Concerts in churches, Lieder recitals, numerous performances of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244), spirituals, opera- her interests were broad, even as the demand for this unaffected singer was great. For the Philips label she made a whole series of recordings of works by J. Brahms, J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel and Felix Mendelssohn. But Monteverdi, L.v. Beethoven, Schubert and Frank Martin also belonged to her repertoire. Aafje Heynis showed a particular preference for Gustav Mahler, one consequence of which was a legendary recording of G. Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink. The soprano part was sung by Elly Ameling. Aafje Heynis had never thought of becoming a professional singer. To be sure, she started singing while still young, but everyone sang in her family: the father, the mother and the two daughters. No one minded if one person had a finer voice than the other, the most important thing was the enjoyment of singing. At the age of 17 Aafje herself aspired to become a nurse and was also inclined towards fashion, but it never occurred to her to become a singer. However, the alertness of the local choral director and the initiation of lessons with Aaltje Noordewier-Reddingius steered her in a completely different direction. Aafje Heynis performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on countless occasions, not only with Eduard van Beinum and Bernard Haitink, but also with Eugen Jochum and Otto Klemperer. In 1961 she was awarded the highly prestigious Harriet Cohen medal for her “outstanding artistry”. In 1966 she took part in performances in Berlin and Amsterdam of the Requiems of W.A. Mozart and Verdi and L.v. Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Aafje Heynis also sang in several of G.F. Handel’s oratorios and works by Alphons Diepenbrock for Netherlands radio and television. Antal Doráti, Igor Markevitch, Erich Kleiber, Angelo Ephrikian, Hans Gillesberger, Charles Munch, Szymon Goldberg, Kurt Thomas, Kurt Redel and Frits Rieger have all had the pleasure of working with this singer. Besides the many concerts she gave in the Netherlands, she could be heard in Belgium, Germany, England, Ireland, France, Switzerland and Austria; she also undertook an ambitious tour to India and Indonesia. After her retirement from singing, Aafje Heynis lived in Blaricum, the Netherlands and worked as a singing teacher (1989). “…off all modern recordings Miss Heynis’s is undoubtly the finest. The phrasing, the long sustained curves, the difficult crescendos and diminuendos of this most lovely work are movingly realised…” – Gramophone, November 1958. “… This alto touches you , brings on a deep emotion by means of here voice and brings music very close …” – Reformatorisch Dagblad”; bach-cantatas.com (edited).
