Press
About Ornithology
"Geert Chatrou is the world champion of artistic whistling, and he produces one stunning record after another. The previous one, Chatroubadour, with Ocobar, was already a gem; on the new double album, Ornithology, he demonstrates that he can truly whistle anything. With his mouth, mind you. (...) OK, that all sounds very impressive, but has it turned out to be a fun album musically as well? To that, only a very resounding and enthusiastic 'yes' can follow."Moors Magazine - Holy Moors
"I think whistling intrigues people. Everyone can whistle or has made an attempt. At performances, you also always notice that many people leave the venue whistling."
Groot Eindhoven, Traverse - Martin de Bruijne
"Following the highly infectious CD Chatroubadour with Ocobar from 2005, two-time world whistler Geert Chatrou now showcases his incredible whistling skills in a wide variety of music over an hour and a half: from tangos by Astor Piazzolla to classic mouth-turners by Bach, Mozart, and Debussy." Eindhovens Dagblad
"The modern-day whistler is a musician. One who happens to play the cheapest instrument in the world. Anyone familiar with the VPRO television theme tune knows enough. A composition by Jakob Klaasse, performed by Geert Chatrou, our world champion."
De Twentse Courant Tubantia
About Chatroubadour
"The combination of Ocobar & Chatrou works remarkably well. (...) Chatroubadour is a summery and sunny album, but (...) also one full of virtuosity." Wereldomroep
"On the CD Chatroubadour, Geert shows what he is capable of. The result is an extraordinarily sunny and uplifting record that immediately compels you to whistle along." Het Parool - Erik Voermans
"His lightning-fast leaps from one note to another are breathtaking. When he spontaneously blows a few notes while walking through his house, he touches you immediately. Like a top violinist taking his Stradivarius out of the case right in front of you." De Volkskrant - Koen Schouten
"The most enjoyable Dutch CD of the century." Elsevier - Sjaak Roodenburg
"It is infectious. But you quickly notice that the lightning-fast jumps and bluesy bows are reserved only for the world champion. Meanwhile, you keep playing this cheerful CD over and over again."Dagblad van het Noorden - Illand Pietersma
"So, a very enjoyable record with the unadulterated romance of whistling your way to work and that’s that!"PlatoMania - Ruud Verkerk
"A delightful record and highly recommended for anyone who loves music even a little bit." Moors Magazine - Holy Moors
"And lo and behold, the miracle happens: whistling turns out to be a divine art and music the most living language."The Magical Madhouse - Tura Gerards
Laurent Tirard about the music for Le Petit Nicolas, composed by Klaus Badelt (Pirates of the Carribbean, Catwoman)
"...Klaus and I instantly got along. We both grew up with a fascination for American cinema, we both went over there to learn the ropes of our professions, and we both wanted to put this experience at the service of our own cultures. I believe this is what Klaus liked about the idea of writing the musical score for Little Nicholas, it was a return to his European roots, a style that would enable him express more personal things connected to his childhood. This was a far cry from a Hollywood film. For a project such as Little Nicholas, he knew that the music had to have a soul. There could be no question of anything syrupy or soppy.
Klaus joined the project very early on, but it took him a long time to write anything. Though he was enthusiastic, he was also very apprehensive – even anguished, you could say – about the project and the challenge it represented. We spent several weeks talking about Tati, about Django Reinhart, about Blake Edwards and Mancini, about Francois de Roubaix’s music, and about the tonality we wanted to give the film. And then one day, Klaus showed me the video of an artist he’d just discovered on YouTube, a Dutchman named Geert Chatrou who had a special talent: he could whistle any piece of music perfectly. Beyond the spectacular aspect of watching this virtuoso handling his natural instrument so flawlessly, it was the idea of the whistling that allowed Klaus and I to find the pitch we wanted for the film.
The whistling instantly brought us back to our childhood. It had a playful, poetic, nostalgic and melancholic note, and at the same time was extremely simple. The whistling was like a diapason which allowed us to find the right tone for the rest of the music. From then on, things went relatively fast. Klaus’ music was very rich, with surprising instrumental blends (which is what earned him a pharaonic two-week recording session, where each instrument was recorded seperately). In the middel of it all, Geert Chatrou’s whistling appears here and there, like a sort of guest star.
The recording session with Geert remains a wonderful memory; Klaus and I were utterly impressed by his capacity to improvise any piece whatsoever on the spot. When it was all over, my initial feeling about the music for Little Nicholas was, I must admit, one of deep relief. Music is always a very sensitive subject for directors...."
