De Materie is a large-scale, four-part work composed between 1984-1988 that purports to incorporate all manner of philosophical views ranging from Marxist concerns to the nature of rationality to the intermingling of musical "class systems." The first section is full of sharp, staccato rhythms, beaten out atonally on rough-hewn percussion, accompanied in unison fashion by an amplified chorus. The effect is largely at once blustery and flat, with an extremely constrained feeling on the part of the vocalists. It opens up somewhat in its second half as the orchestration splinters to include some electronic keyboards and a solo tenor, but the gearlike, mechanical feeling persists. The second section, Hadewijck, takes its texts from a medieval mystic's spiritual visions and, as one would expect, the music adopts a rather ethereal air, highly pitched strings underlying the wafting soprano voice. Rhythmic elements intrude but they have more of a percolating aspect than a bombastic one, happily offsetting the harsh, earlier movement. De Stijl deploys a platoon of saxophones and much livelier, jazzier rhythms in a relatively vivacious minimalist exposition, although -- it should be said -- never with the unrelenting sense of purpose of a work like Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, which it recalls from time to time. The use of an electric bass and what sounds like a standard drum kit serves Andriessen's purpose as far as the mixing of so-called "high" and "low" art forms, but still comes across as more contrived and didactic than natural. It's more than a little reminiscent, and almost as clunky, as George Russell's somewhat anachronistic use of rock themes in his Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved By Nature. The effect is more a bizarre and shrill hodgepodge than an inspired mixture. The final portion reverts to a slower though monumental pace, heavy block chords in the brass (augmented by electronics) played off of celestial choral work. Whether listeners hear this as an illustration of serene spirituality or ponderousness will likely derive from their basic affinities to Andriessen's music in general. If they've followed him this far, chances are the massive work will have succeeded for them. ~ Brian Olewnick, Rovi

1		De Materie: Part I
2		De Materie: Part II: Hadewijch
3		De Materie: Part III: De Stijl
4		De Materie: Part IV