Ruud van der Meer (Bass)

Born: 1936 - The Netherlands

The Dutch bass, Ruud van der Meer (actual name: is Rudolf Cornelius Adrianus van der Meer), studied music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, which covered also a conducting and oboe playing. His singing teacher was Marja Bons. He was winner of Singing Competitions of s'Hertogenbosch, Barcelona and Toulouse.

In 1967 Ruud van der Meer made his debut as a singer in a concert with the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. However, he was firstly employed as oboist in the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he worked as a choir conductor and as a concert singer. Soon he became known by concerts, which he gave in his homeland Holland, in the music centres of Western Europe, in Scandinavia and in North America, as well as by his broadcasts and recordings. His concerts brought him to London and New York, to Berlin and Vienna, and Warsaw. He also appeared with great success in many festivals, including the Holland Festival, the Festival of Bregenz and the English Bach Festival. He appeared together with the well-known Dutch soprano singer Elly Ameling in London and New York in a programme of the Italian and the Spanishe Liederburch by Hugo Wolf to. He gave concerts in Moscow in 1988. In 1988 he undertook a big tour to Russia. On the concert podium he appeared in a very extensive repertoire and was characterised particularly as an outstanding Bach interpreter. However in his concerts he presented to the public many more oratorios and Lieder. He has lived in Wassenar, and since 1972 was a professor at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

Ruud van der Meer made numerous recordings, particularly under the label of Telefunken, among them Bach Cantatas, Works of George Frideric Handel and the bass-solo in a complete recording of Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) by J.S. Bach. Additional recordings appeared on the labels CBS, Erato, Polydor, Philips and Ottavo (Lieder of Johannes Brahms).

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Gerard Akkerhuis

Bass

BWV 68

Samuel Baron

Bass

Arias from BWV 140, BWV 146, BWV 158 [w/ Bach Aria Group]

Michel Corboz

Bass

BWV 245

Helmut Franz

Bass

[CR-41] (1977, Radio recording): BWV 41

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Bass

BWV 36, BWV 37, BWV 38, BWV 41, BWV 42, BWV 43, BWV 44, BWV 47, BWV 49, BWV 57, BWV 58, BWV 59, BWV 60, BWV 61, BWV 62, BWV 63, BWV 64, BWV 65, BWV 68, BWV 69a, BWV 70, BWV 72, BWV 76, BWV 78, BWV 80, BWV 81, BWV 85, BWV 86, BWV 87, BWV 93, BWV 97, BWV 105, BWV 108, BWV 110, BWV 111, BWV 112
BWV 244 [2^nd], BWV 244 [3^rd]

Dwight Oltman

Bass

BWV 78 [1^st], BWV 158 [1^st], BWV 248 [1^st]

Rudolf Pohl

Bass

[CR-5] (1975, Radio recording): BWV 5
[CR-67] (1974-1975?, Radio recording): BWV 67
[CR-86] (1974-1975?, Radio recording): BWV 86
[CR-132] (1974-1975?, Radio recording): BWV 132
[CR-153] (1974-1975?, Radio recording): BWV 153
[CR-182] (1974-1975?, Radio recording): BWV 182

Hans Thamm

Bass

[CR-40] (1975?, Radio recording): BWV 40
[CR-44] (1971?, Radio recording): BWV 44
[CR-186] (1970?, Radio recording) BWV 186

Links to other Sites

Ruud van der Meer (Dutch Divas)