‘Efteling composer’ Ruud Bos (87) passed away on Friday. Bos made, among other things, the recognizable tunes of the Carnival Festival, Fata Morgana and Villa Volta. This made him a great inspiration for current Efteling composer René Merkelbach. “His music is truly timeless. And you rarely see that.”
Yes, you too know the music of Ruud Bos. Possibly from the Efteling, but perhaps also from countless children’s series, including Bassie & Adriaan and the Fabeltjeskrant. But Bos also made music for Dutch artists such as Toon Hermans, Wim Sonneveld, Willeke Alberti and Gerard Cox.
Bos is a big name, that’s for sure, says René Merkelbach. Merkelbach also composed and produced a lot of music for Efteling, including De Vliegende Hollander, Joris en de Draak and Raveleijn. The native Tilburger is therefore full of praise for the grandmaster who preceded him.
“The average visitor will thank: nice, Fata Morgana. But it’s so well made.”
“I come from Tilburg, so I came as a young person little guy in the Efteling,” says Merkelbach. “To this day I am amazed by Bos’s music. Then, but also now. Particularly from Fata Morgana. I don’t know what it is, but it hits me. The average visitor will thank: nice, Fata Morgana. But it’s so well made.”
Before the arrival of Bos, Efteling did not use its own music. With Ruud Bos, the park had its own music composed for the first time. “That’s saying something, isn’t it? The quality was immediately of paramount importance, at least that’s how I see it. Because Ruud Bos was not just anyone. He was already a maestro then.”
“As a composer for Efteling, you don’t want to deviate from that afterwards.”
According to Merkelbach, Bos lived up to those sky-high expectations with verve. “He not only laid the foundation for Efteling music, he also set the tone.” Literally and figuratively. “Because Bos was classically trained, and you can hear that. That makes Bos’s music very accessible, but also incredibly complex.”
“Well,” Merkelbach adds, “it’s not always accessible either. Visitors can probably sing along to most of Bos’s Efteling melodies, but most people will really stumble over the Fata Morgana melody,” he laughs. “In any case, it is pure craftsmanship. I have never dared to deviate from that tone.”
It is difficult to say exactly what that tone is, says Merkelbach. “People sometimes say to me: ‘Oh, that is really typical Efteling music.’ But is that the case? Because Fata Morgana does not resemble Carnival Festival at all. It is all miles apart. No, what corresponds is that classic basis. And that makes it so good. “
“It’s all miles apart.”
This timelessness is particularly rare, according to Merkelbach. “Many other parks play or make the music that is hip at the time. But the chords, the bass notes, the rhythm: often it’s all as flat as a dime. It has a bad birthday.”
But, as befits classical music, Bos’s work can last for centuries. Moreover, Bos’ Efteling work is known for not wanting to leave your head. They are true earworms. “That’s right,” Merkelbach laughs again. “Bos was a master of melody. I’m repeating myself, but let’s be clear: it’s just pure craftsmanship.”
READ ALSO: Composer of legendary Efteling music Ruud Bos (87) passed away