Alexander Kerr, Gregor Horsch, Sepp Grotenhuis - Julius Röntgen: Chamber Music (2000) CD-Rip

Julius Röntgen was born on 9 May 1855 in Leipzig, the son of Dutch violinist Engelbert Röntgen, leader of the Gewandhausorchester there, and German pianist Pauline Klengel. He started composing at an early age and took the stage with his own works in Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Leipzig as a child prodigy. At the age of fifteen he was introduced to Franz Liszt, who invited him to one of his famous soirees after he played two of his own compositions to him. He also met Edvard Grieg during his youth, with whom he later maintained a warm friendship and corresponded extensively.
In 1878 Röntgen settled in Amsterdam, where he worked as a piano teacher and as conductor of the Amsterdam division of the Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Toonkunst, the Felix Meritis concerts and the vocal society Excelsior. In 1884 he founded the Amsterdam Conservatory together with Daniël de Lange, Johannes Messchaert and Frans Coenen. He would become its director later on. He was also a remarkably prolific composer, who wrote more than 600 compositions in a diverse array of genres, including concerts, symphonies, operas, songs and chamber music. Although he was aware of the developments in international musical life, he remained true to his own style of composing, which is reminiscent of that of Brahms and Reger. He used both Dutch and Scandinavian folk music as a source of inspiration for his works.
During the last years of his live Röntgen moved to the villa Gaudeamus in Bilthoven, which was designed by his son Frants. There he composed rapidly: he wrote more than 200 works between 1925 and 1932. Villa Gaudeamus also became a venue the musical activities that Röntgen organized, such as analysis courses and house concerts, which could be regarded as the forerunners of the activities that the Gaudeamus Foundation would organize in this house later on.