Kees Tazelaar’s book On the Threshold of Beauty is now available for free download. It covers Dutch electronic music from 1925 to 1965, including the Philips Pavilion and the World’s Fair.
Robin Rimbaud, known as Scanner, shared the link. The text contains new information on Varèse, Xenakis, and the Pavilion. It includes scores, album details, code snippets, and photos of labs, studios, and equipment.
The author begins with early research at Philips. This work covered stereophonic sound, radio, film, and inventions such as the Philiolist Loudspeaker Violins.
Lessons from this era regarding concerts and sound might inform modern technology. The book also provides an education in Dutch composers that differs from the UK, US, France, and Germany focus common elsewhere.
A companion website offers music illustrations. You can listen to the audio while reading.
Curtis Roads gave a glowing review of the work. The publication details follow:
Publication details
On the Threshold of Beauty: Philips and the Origins of Electronic Music in the Netherlands, 1925–1965
- Author: Kees Tazelaar
- Publication date: November 2013
- Revised Digital Edition: October 2020
- Content: 230 images, full color
- Language: English
- Design: Joke Brouwer
Société Gavigniès and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague supported the original publication. Société Gavigniès and the Konrad Boehmer Foundation funded the digital version.
The file is a screen-ready PDF. A high-resolution version is available on demand.
The physical edition is sold out. The digital release is a welcome addition.
https://www.v2.nl/publications/on-the-threshold-of-beauty-digital-version
Joke Brouwer, the designer, is the co-founder and adjunct director of V2_Lab for Unstable Media in Rotterdam. Events are scheduled for the coming weeks.
Her work leads to a fascinating project from 1992.
That era saw more cultural funding and freedom across western Europe. V2_Lab continues to support the field.
What it means
For makers and artists, this resource offers a deep dive into the technical and artistic roots of the medium. It provides context for current developments in immersive sound and studio design.
