The Hanseatic Suite is composed on occasion of the "Hanze" days, which were held in Deventer and Zutphen (two Dutch cities) in 1990. The medieval Hanze cities on the banks of the IJssel river are central in this four-movement suite. The first movement is a stately reflection of the city of Deventer, of which city the composer is an inhabitant. The small town of Doesburg is then introduced in a lively, playful manner in a fast dance in triple time. In the third movement the city of Kampen is featured in a stately court-dance, the pavane. The suite ends with a triumphant musical impression of the city of Zutphen. A nice challenge for clarinet ensemble, fun to play and practice together.
