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    Madelene Van Aardt

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 6 min

    Madelene Van Aardt
    Born
    Madelene Olivier

    (1896-08-14)14 August 1896
    Graaff-Reinet, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
    Died6 July 1982(1982-07-06) (aged 85)
    Somerset East, South Africa
    Occupations
    • Composer
    • teacher
    WorksList of compositions

    Madelene Van Aardt (14 August 1896 – 6 July 1982) was a South African composer and teacher. Her published compositions include the piano piece Fusion (1935) and four songs, with two in English and two in Afrikaans. Van Aardt was among the first composers to write in the popular light Afrikaans music (ligte Afrikaanse musiek) genre.

    Life and career[edit]

    Madelene Olivier was born on 14 August 1896 in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Province, then in the Union of South Africa.[1] She earned an associate degree from Trinity College London, UK.[2] In 1950 she returned to South Africa, and lived in Somerset East from then onwards.[2][3] According to her gravestone, at some point she married and had children, presumably adopting the surname 'Van Aardt' from her husband.[4] She died on 6 July 1982 and was buried in Somerset East's main cemetery; her gravestone includes an epitaph, THE DAWN HAS BROKEN.[4]

    In the early 20th century, the music of South Africa saw the emergence of a new popular music genre in the Afrikaans language: light Afrikaans music (ligte Afrikaanse musiek).[5] Van Aardt was among the earliest composers in the genre, alongside Danie Bosman and the Coopers and later, Hendrik Susan [af].[5] Her published compositions include the novelty piano work Fusion (1935) and a four songs for voice and piano.[2][3] These songs are variously in England and Afrikaans, with texts by Justus Latsky (1913–1955), Mary Astor, and Van Aardt herself.[3]

    She was associated with the actor-composer Felix de Cola (1906–1983), who published a few of her works.[3] Her other publishers include the Johannesburg-based firms Voortrekkerpers [af] and Ardmore & Beechwood.[2] At least two of her works have been recorded; the two Afrikaans songs, "Heimwee" and "Onthou jy nog?" were included by South African singer Chris Blignaut [af] on an LP recording (Columbia AE 612).[6]

    List of compositions[edit]

    List of compositions by Madelene Van Aardt[2][3]
    Title Pub. Year Genre Lyricist Publisher Notes
    Fusion 1935 Piano – Felix de Cola, Cape Town A novelty piece
    "Heimwee"
    ("Longing")     		1935 Vocal Justus Latsky Voortrekkerpers [af], Johannesburg (1935/45)
    Ardmore & Beechwood, Johannesburg (1944)     		In Afrikaans; with piano accompaniment
    "I'll Be Waiting" 1944 Vocal Mary Astor Voortrekkerpers [af], Johannesburg In English; with piano accompaniment
    "I Wonder Why" ? Vocal Madelene Van Aardt Felix de Cola, Cape Town In English; a waltz with piano accompaniment
    "Onthou Jy nog?"
    ("Do You Remember?")     		1935 Vocal Justus Latsky R. Muller, Cape Town (1935)
    Voortrekkerpers [af], Johannesburg (1944)     		In Afrikaans; with piano accompaniment.
    1944 version arranged by arr Felix de Cola

    References[edit]

    Citations[edit]

    1. ^ Hixon 1993, pp. 1107–1108.
    2. ^ a b c d e Brie 2019.
    3. ^ a b c d e Cohen 1987, p. 714.
    4. ^ a b eGGSA 2012.
    5. ^ a b Fouche 2020.
    6. ^ Discogs.

    Sources[edit]

    • Brie, Tim de (2019). "Aardt, Madelene van Aardt". Composers-Classical-Music.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
    • Cohen, Aaron I. (1987) [1981]. International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). R. R. Bowker. ISBN 978-0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.
    • Fouche, Paul (16 January 2020). "The Kosie La Grange Story Part 1" (in Afrikaans). Montagu Bookshop. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020.
    • Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
    • "Aard Madelene, Van 1896-1982". eGGSA Graves Collection. The Genealogical Society of SA. 12 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020.
    • "Chris A. Blignaut* – Onthou Jy Hog? / Heimwee". Discogs. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

    Further reading[edit]

    • Van der Merwe, F. Z. (1974). Suid-Afrikaanse musiekbibliografie: 1787-1952 [South African Music Bibliography: 1787-1952] (in Afrikaans). Jan Van de Graaf. Cape Town: Tafelberg. ISBN 978-0-624-00355-7. OCLC 1692060.

    External links[edit]

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    Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madelene Van Aardt
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