Gerard Cornielje

Gerard Cornielje, Baron von Saxen (b. June 12, 1962 in 's-Heerenberg) is a Dutch poet and jazz musician. He lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

Family History
Gerardus Wilhelmus Theodorus Cornielje is the son of Gerhard Everhard Cornielje b. September 11, 1926 in Emmerich (D) and Maria Hippmann (NL) b. May 1, 1928 in 's-Heerenberg, and a direct descendant of Baroness Marie Le Pesant de Bois-Guilbert and Lawyer Pierre Corneille, parents of the poets Pierre Corneille, Seigneur D'Anville and Thomas Corneille Seigneur de L'Isle. Pierre Corneille the Elder (not without help from his son, whose work Le Cid was a great success in the year 1637) was knighted by King Louis XIII in the year 1637 and again by King Louis XIV in 1669 after the revocation of the original ennoblement under pressure of Richelieu who objected very much to the content of the play Le Cid and was also envious of the sudden rise of his former protégé Pierre Corneille. The full title of Pierre Corneille the younger was Écuyer (En.) Squire Pierre Corneille Seigneur d'Anville, a transferable title accompanied by possessions of land and a fixed annual income. The title was later changed from Écuyer to Chevalier (en.) Knight. From maternal side Cornielje descends from the family Hippmann von Böhmen. Ennoblement letters were given to the family in the year 1733, when Joseph Hippmann because of his efforts in the service of the state of Bohemia, was elevated to the rank of Baron. After the French Revolution in 1789, the noble family Corneille escaped from the guillotine to the North: part of the family fled to The Netherlands, the other part towards Germany, Austria and Bohemia. The name Corneille became Cornielje because it was custom at the time to adjust French names to easier understandable ones for the natives of their newly adapted home countries and perhaps as well for fear of the long arm of the revolution.

Art
Gerard Cornielje is best known for his live performances in which he combines reciting poetry with jazz saxophone playing, usually accompanied by a drummer and/or a double bass player. His poetry can be classified as Neo-Romantic Expressionism and is filled with tales surrounding his travels and music. Cornielje's music is a mix of jazz and Blues, performed singing, on alto-and tenor saxophones as well as on blues harp. Cornielje has been performing for over 35 years and on his journeys integrated many ethnic music styles into his music. A good example is his collaboration with gnawa musicians from Morocco, a country where he performs several times a year. The combination of poetry, jazz and world music is the core of Cornielje's repertoire.

Charity
Since 2010 Cornielje has been ambassador of the Toe-to-Heart Trust in Bangalore promoting the trust worldwide on his tours. The Toe-to-Heart Trust was founded 8 years ago in Bangalore by Thomas van Berckel from the Netherlands and provides shelter to children from the slums of Bangalore.

Recent Publications and Releases

 * Collected Poems - In Exsilium 2007, ISBN 978-90-8539-679-6
 * Anthology of Dutch and Flemish poets: Reuring in de tent, 2011, ISBN 978-90-79288-04-5
 * Anthology of Dutch poets: Aard van het beestje, 2009, ISBN 978-90-79288-02-1
 * Album: Blue Door (April 2012)
 * Single: Sax on the Beach (October 2011)
 * Single: God Bless the Child (November 2011)

Influencing his poetry

 * Federico García Lorca
 * George Trakl
 * Rainer Maria Rilke
 * Edgar Allen Poe
 * Lord Byron
 * Dylan Thomas

Influencing his music

 * Dexter Gordon
 * John Coltrane
 * Hank Crawford
 * David Sanborn
 * Frank Sinatra
 * Michael Bublé

Sources, Press & Links

 * Corneille and his times
 * Pierre Corneille
 * Family coat of arms
 * Cardinal Richelieu
 * Hippmann von Böhmen
 * Blues Nomination
 * Award
 * Zilveren Brandnetel
 * Wiki Photo
 * Toe to Heart Trust
 * Dutch reference
 * Hindu Bangalore
 * Bookstore
 * Benjarong
 * Swiss Blues Charts
 * Zürich Twitter Charts
 * Reverbnation Press Kit
 * Mobile App
 * Blue Door
 * Wikipedia Germany
 * Wikipedia Netherlands
 * Official site