Dutch city. As the seat of government since the 16th century, The Hague takes second place in Dutch musical life after Amsterdam. Apart from records of bells for the Jacobskerk, the earliest records of musical life date from the 17th century, under the government of stadholder Frederik-Hendrik, when Constantijn and Christiaan Huygens lived there. In the 1670s the viol player Carolus Hacquart organized performances in the Mauritshuis; in 1699 the theorist and composer Q.G. van Blankenburg was appointed organist at the Nieuwe Kerk. From the 17th century the stadholders were patrons of music, but it was only under Willem V (1766–95) that the court orchestra flourished. Its German conductor C.E. Graaf had talented local musicians at his disposal and he also collaborated with visiting foreign musicians (in 1765–6 with the Mozart family). In the 18th century the city had a flourishing amateur orchestra consisting chiefly of members of the nobility. One of these was the composer Count Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692–1766), whose six Concerti armonici were long presumed to be the work of Pergolesi. The vicissitudes of the French occupation prevented the establishment of a royal chapel until 1821, when one was founded by King Willem I; it existed until 1841.
Opera, cultivated in The Hague from the 17th century, always depended on foreign companies, particularly at the Théâtre Français, whose 18th-century scores and librettos, now in the Gemeentemuseum, indicate its extensive repertory. Most performances were given in a theatre (now demolished) in the Casuaristraat; there was constant rivalry between various Italian and German companies. In 1804 the Korte Voorhout (a former palace) was rebuilt as the Royal Theatre (Koninklijke Schouwburg). It was extensively renovated in 1863 and 1998. Now it is used for theatrical productions. After World War I the French opera was discontinued, and opera life was reduced to occasional performances by Dutch and foreign companies. In 1966 the 1600-seat Circustheater at Scheveningen, the city's seaside resort, was renovated. The Amsterdam-based Nederlandse Operastichting has given the premières there of several Dutch operas. In 1987 most operatic performances were transferred to the Lucent Danstheater, which has a capacity of 1000.
The oldest existing concert hall is the Diligentia at the Lange Voorhout, built in 1821, where all important orchestral and chamber music concerts were given. Because of the Diligentia’s small capacity, the noted Gebouw voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen was built in 1874; it also housed opera and ballet but was destroyed by fire in 1964. In the Kurhaus at the beach at Scheveningen (opened 1885) annual summer concerts were given by the Berlin PO for 25 years, and later by the Lamoureux Orchestra and the Residentie-Orkest (under Carl Schuricht and Ignaz Neumark). The Nederlands Congresgebouw was completed in 1969 and a new concert hall, the Dr Anton Philipszaal, opened in 1987.
In the mid-18th century concerts were given in the garden of the Nieuw Vaux-Hall inn, arranged by Albertus Groneman. From 1821 to 1906 the Concert Diligentia Society organized subscription concerts conducted by, among others, the composer Johannes Verhulst (1816–91), who dominated the city's musical life for much of the 19th century, Richard Hol and Willem Mengelberg. In 1891 the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra began to give an annual series of concerts. The Hague’s own orchestra, the Residentie-Orkest, was founded in 1903 by Henri Viotta; its subsequent conductors have been Peter van Anrooy (1917), Frits Schuurman (1938), Willem van Otterloo (1949), Jean Martinon (1974), Ferdinand Leitner (1976), Hans Vonk (1980) and Evgeny Svetlanov (1992). The orchestra has established an international reputation, attracts many guest conductors, and through its concerts and recordings has done much to promote Dutch composers. In 1910 it first visited London, and in 1963 first toured the USA. The internationally known Nederlands Dans Theater, founded in 1959, is also based in The Hague. There are several choral societies, of which the most important are the Toonkunstkoor (1829), the Excelsior (1881) and De Stem des Volks (1907); noted male choirs include the Cecilia (1830) and Die Haghe Sanghers (1917). The Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Toonkunst has organized festivals since 1834, and the annual Holland Festival was founded in 1948.
Musical education in The Hague dates from 1826 when the Koninklijke Muzijkschool was founded; it became a conservatory in 1900 and moved into new premises in 1980; its directors have included the composers Johan Wagenaar, Sem Dresden, Henk Badings, Hendrik Andriessen and Kees van Baaren. Before musicology was introduced in Dutch universities D.F. Scheurleer was active in this field and founded the Union Musicologique (1921–7). His extensive collection (a library and musical instruments) now belongs to the music department of the Gemeentemuseum. The Hague also has an important public music library.
J. Meihuizen: Gebouw voor kunsten en wetenschappen 1874–1924 (The Hague, 1924)
G.A. van Haeften: Koninklijk conservatorium voor muziek te 's-Gravenhage 1826–1926 (The Hague, 1926)
G.A. Gillhoff: The Royal Dutch Theatre at The Hague 1804–1876 (The Hague, 1938)
J. Weyand: De roman van een orkest: gedenkboek … van Het Residentie Orkest (The Hague, 1947)
A.B.M. Brans and E. Cornelis: Het Residentie-Orkest 50 jaar (The Hague, 1954)
C. von Gleich: Haags Gemeentemuseum: portret van de muziekafdeling – protret van de verzameling Scheurleer (The Hague, 1985)
H. de Kler: Zeven eeuwen orgels in Den Haag (Alphen aan den Rijn, 1987)
CLEMENS VON GLEICH (with MICHAEL DAVIDSON, WILHELMUS HERMANUS THIJSSE)