Flairck ‎– Bal Masqué (1984, LP, Netherlands)

Tracklist:

A1. Ouverture  2:49

A2. De Gravin  3:25

A3. Presto de l'estate  2:44

A4. Inventies (de ivoren toren)  6:41

A5. De Derde Wals  5:44

B1. Tango & Les Riches  9:07

B2. Het Debat  2:46

B3. Nocturne  3:45

B4. Reprise  2:40

B5. De Amsterdamse Grachten  2:25

Musicians:

Choir – Koor Van De Kerkmuziekschool Te Utrecht

Chorus Master – Jan Stulen

Concertmaster – Jenö Nemeth

Contrabass, Cello, Organ, Harmonium, Vocals [Choir Vocals] – Dirk van Gorp

Flute [Transverse Flute], Piccolo Flute, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Accordion, Lead Vocals, Vocals [Choir Vocals] – Cornee Van Der Kleij

Guitar [6-String], Twelve-String Guitar, Resonator Guitar, Bouzouki, Banjo, Vocals [Choir Vocals] – Erik Visser

Orchestra – Noord-Hollands Philharmonisch Orkest

Tabla, Marimba, Percussion, Timpani, Vocals [Choir Vocals], Voice [Tabla Vocals] – Ted De Jong

Violin, Viola, Harp, Vocals [Choir Vocals] – Sylvia Houtzager

Originally Bal Masqué was written as an instrumental opera for Flairck and balletdancers. The first performances took place during a Dutch-Belgian tour in the spring of 1984. The libretto of this piece is based on the idea of a masqued ball with a number of important guests, who are staying in a place which is shut off from the outside world because of approaching danger. Apart from an overture and a reprise the music consists of various dances or acts in which one or more of the guests come to the foreground. When, after the Overture, all the guests have arrived, the hostess steps forward in a piece called The Countess. Presto da l'Estate (the third part of the Summer of the Four Seasons by A. Vivaldi) is part of the music played by the musicians at the ball. Inventions (part 1 the Ivory Tower, part 2 Eureka) is the dance of a General and The Rich (a song written by G. Moustaki) is about all the guests. The Debate is the story of a politician and Nocturne is a description of the end of a party. The piece ends with a Reprise of the opening theme.

Moustaki & Flairck ‎– Moustaki & Flairck (1982, LP, Netherlands)

Songs
1. Chansons (3:35)2. La route (5:26)
3. Ma nouvelle aventure (5:03)
4. Blessure (7:06)
5. Les musiciens (5:32)
6. L'amour en passant (7:48)
7. Pecheur (5:01)
8. Matin (4:39)

Musicians
Georges Moustaki / lead vocals, accordion
Erik Visser / 6- & 12-string guitars, bouzouki, panpipes, vocals
Annet Visser / flutes, panpipes, bagpipes, accordion, vocals
Sylvia Houtzager / violin, viola, harp, panpipes, vocals
Hans Visser / electric & acoustic basses, guitar, panpipes, vocals
Ted De Jong / tablas, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, snare, sitar, vocals
With:
Marta Contreras / vocals, percussion
Joey Rossi / accordion (1,5,6)
Anita Riezouw / spinet (3)
"De Arabier" / Amsterdam street-organ (1)

On this album eight French songs, sung by George Moustaki, are interwoven with instrumental parts. For this reason these songs have an unususal construction. With the cooperation of Martha Contreras (vocals and percussion), the Amsterdam street-organ "De Arabier" and accordionist Joey Rossi.

Flairck ‎– Circus (1981, LP, Netherlands)

Tracklist:

A1. The Crossing  8:45

A2. Circus (Acts 1 & 2 - Before The Interval)  16:03

B1. Circus (Acts 3 & 4 - After The Interval)  14:10

B2. Struggle For Life  10:35

Musicians:

Bass Guitar [Acoustic], Performer [Bass Pedals], Guitar [Classical] – Hans Visser

Guitar [6- And 12-string], Banjo, E-Bow, Other [Music Box], Siren – Erik Visser

Piccolo Flute, Flute [Silver, Alto, Bass], Accordion, Oboe, Bagpipes [Uillean Pipes] – Annet Visser

Tabla, Xylophone, Marimba, Sitar, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Drums [Snare], Performer [Woodblock, Car Horn], Gong, Timpani, Cymbal – Ted De Jong

Violin, Viola [5-string], Cello, Harp, Saw [Musical Saw] – Sylvia Houtzager

Written-By – Erik Visser (tracks: A1 to B1), Hans Visser (tracks: B2)

The fourth record has tempted us, after travelling around in the business for some years, to write a suite about the circus, because we were slowly changing into an (instrumental) circus ourselves. The Crossing tells about the journey from Europe to America. The Cooke Circus was the first to cross the ocean with 40 artists, 42 horses and 14 ponies. During this voyage a girl was born, called Oceana. She later became a famous ropedancer. The Circus starts with a view inside an empty tent, after which the actual show starts. It is opened by an instrumental circus orchestra with a central theme that is used later on to join 4 important acts, in which each time a solo instrument performs. This first act is a solo mortale on the twelve-string guitar. The jugglar plays a central part in the second act, in which the bass guitar is assisted by tabla's. In the break, provided by the street organ "De Arabier", you can turn the record to side B. In the third act the flute steps forward in a dance on the rope. The violin plays the clown in the fourth act and finally the circus orchestra plays the central theme again in the parade. Dedicated to Thomas Visser. In Struggle for Life the cavalry enters the ring.
Sergeant Major Astley started the modern circus. After quitting the army he gave performances with daring horse-acts. Around 1770 he extended this with clowns and rope-dancers, accompanied by a circus orchestra. (by flairck)

Flairck ‎– Gevecht Met De Engel (1980, CD, Netherlands)

Songs:
1. Oost-west Express (East-West Express) (4:49)
2. De Vlinder (The Butterfly) (7:25)
3. Voor Antoinette (For Antoinette) (2:08)
4. De Stoomwals (Steam Engine Waltz) (7:13)
5. Gevecht Met De Engel Deel I (8:25)
6. Gevecht Met De Engel Deel II (8:35)
7. Gevecht Met De Engel Deel III (5:28)

Musicians:
Erik Visser / 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, sitar, mandolin, spinet, panpipes, gong, kettledrums
Peter Weekers / flutes (transverse, alto, piccolo), panpipes, Uillean pipes, spinet, castanets
Sylvia Houtzager / violin, viola, cello, harp, panpipes
Hans Visser / acoustic & electric basses, Classical & 12-string guitars, panpipes

Gevecht Met De Engel was released as the second album. East-west Express describes a train journey through an East European landscape. The Butterfly is an arrangement of an Irish melody. The rights for this piece were benefited to UNICEF. For Antoinette is a guitarsolo, written for Antoinette Hensey. Steam Engine Waltz: in this piece the technique of hiccupping is used to spread one melody over several voices. Some Phony Symphony: this is a threepart guitar concerto and entirely covers the B-side. The piece is dedicated to Anna Visser.

Flairck ‎– Live In Amsterdam (1980, 2xCD, Netherlands)

Songs:
1. Oost-West Express (8:20)
2. De Stoomwals (6:35)
3. Aoife (6:45)
4. Reklame (:14)
5. De Eerste Dag Na Je Vertrek (17:50)
6. April 3rd / De Vlinder (14:30)
7. Voorspel In Sofia (9:00)
8. Variates Op En Dame (19:35)

Musicians:

Flute, Piccolo Flute, Panpipes, Bagpipes, Spinet – Peter Weekers

Guitar [6- And 12-string], Sitar, Panpipes – Erik Visser

Guitar [Classical], Acoustic Bass, Panpipes – Hans Visser

Violin, Harp, Panpipes – Sylvia Houtzager, Sylvia Houtzager

This double album contains recordings that were made on the evening of the 31st of March in the Nieuwe dela Mar theatre in Amsterdam. One of the four sides is covered by The Day You Left, a composition that had been part of the repertoire for quite some time but was never released on record, because it is based on improvosations, and gets off much better in front of an audience than in a studio. Most other pieces come from the album Variations on a Lady and The Lady's Back, but these live recordings are very different from the studio versions. Four solos are added in the opening number, East-west Express, a harp is used in Aoife and April 3rd starts with a sitar improvisation. On Variations on a Lady the slow first part is left out and the flute improvisation is extended. The encore Sofia's Foreplay leads to a love scene between two birds.

Flairck ‎– Variaties Op Een Dame (1978, CD, Netherlands)

Songs
1. Aoife (6:28)
2. Voorspel in Sofia (7:06)
3. April 3rd (5:39)
4. Oneven Wals (7:17)
5. Variaties op een Dame (21:25)
6. Dubbelspel (1:22)

Musicians
Erik Visser / 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, sitar, mandolin, mandola
Peter Weekers / flutes (transverse, bamboo, piccolo), panpipes
Judy Schomper / violin, viola
Hans Visser / acoustic bass, Classical & 12-string guitars
Fred Krens / vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, gong & cymbals

Flairck's first album. Aoife is a lullaby written for the birth of Mary Coughlan's daughter. ('Aoife' is Gaelic for 'Eve'.) Sofia's Foreplay: a reflection of an amourous event in a big city in Eastern Europe. April 3rd: played for the first time on that date in 1977 in a church during the wedding of the piano-player/composer Jolyon Jackson and his bride Theresa. Odd Waltz: in which the three-fourth bar is used as the building stone in a rhythmically unusual construction. The piece Variations on a Lady nearly covers the whole B-side and is one of the eldest compositions of Flairck. It is written for a female violinist and exists of two parts that are separated by a violin solo. Doubles is a short guitar duet.