Roots Martin Fröst

• 1 Ancient Suite 03:32
• 2 IV. Presto 02:29
• 3 Klezmer Dance No. 2 03:54
• 4 Psalm från Älvdals-Åsen 03:16
• 5 Introduction and Variations on a Swedish Song for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 12 09:38
• 6 Hungarian Dance No. 14 in D Minor 02:37
• 7 I. Mit Humor (Vanitas vanitatum) 02:57
• 8 II. Langsam 03:10
• 9 V. Stark und markiert 02:39
• 10 II. Sash Dance 00:50
• 11 III. In One Spot 02:35
• 12 IV. Dance from Bucium 02:08
• 13 V. Romanian Polka 00:41
• 14 VI. Fast Dance 00:58
• 15 Nana 02:09
• 16 Jag vet en dejlig rosa 04:52
• 17 Primal Blues 01:20
• 18 Rolig Pers Polska 04:19
• 19 Hymn of Echoes 02:27
• 20 La muerte del ángel 03:33
• 21 All in the Past 02:56
• Total Runtime 01:03:00

Info for Roots

The stunning new recording and concert program created by Martin features a kaleidoscope of repertoire ranging 2000 years, tracing the evolution of music through a continuous soundscape. ”The listener will search long and hard to find works and performances like these in which folk music, a religious atmosphere and an avant-garde technique are combined to create such inspired music for our age” writes Wolfgang Sander of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in the booklet note.

Describing the program – in which Martin features as both soloist and conductor – he comments “My sound-world journey travels through the sources of classical repertoire, and draws a line from the earliest “roots” of music—music inspired by dance and folk, music drawn from sacred rituals of praise, and music as pure entertainment—and explores how, from these roots, we can open up a new musical door into the future. My journey moves from Gregorian chant, Hildegard von Bingen and Telemann, via gypsy, klezmer and traditional folk music from a variety of countries, all the way through to new works and re-workings of classical pieces… I wanted to give the feeling that, by listening to this program its like walking through from one room to the next and suddenly you are in a totally different sound world – that idea turns me on.”

Roots refers not only to the origins of classical music in religious music and folk music but also to the very personal roots of Martin himself. The final track is a setting of the beautiful and simple Scandinavian folksong Jag vet en dejlig rosa (I know a rose so comely) which comes from Dalarna in the heart of Sweden

Martin Fröst, clarinet
Adolf Fredriks Girls Choir
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

Martin Fröst
Undoubtedly one of the most outstanding wind instrumentalists of today, Martin Fröst future highlights include debuts with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchester, Orchestre National de France, Detroit Symphony and Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber, Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, Bamberger Symphoniker and NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, plus return visits to the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. He also returns to the Australian Chamber Orchestra following a substantial tour of Europe with them last season, and embarks on a major European tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta performing Weber and Copland in May 2013. Last season Martin Fröst performed with the Wiener Symphoniker, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Minnesota Orchestra (all under Osmo Vänskä), Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Gustavo Dudamel), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen as well as the Tonkünstler, Oslo and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic orchestras. In August 2012 he made his debut at New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto under the direction of Louis Langrée.

Keen to expand the existing clarinet concerto repertoire, Martin has personally championed Anders Hillborg’s Peacock Tales (which incorporates elements of mine and dance), Kalevi Aho’s Concerto (commissioned for him by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust) and Rolf Martinsson’s Concerto Fantastique. 2012/13 sees him premiere a new concerto by Bent Sørensen with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Cologne’s Philharmonie under Michael Schønwandt.

A keen recitalist and chamber musician, Martin Fröst gave five concerts as part of a major residency at Cologne’s Philharmonie in 2010/11 including a dance programme ’Double Points’ with violinist Janine Jansen. In 2011/12 Fröst performed in venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Berlin’s Konzerthaus and the Vienna Konzerthaus. He has a long-standing association with the Verbier Festival, and this season not only appears at the festival but also with the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Schloss Elmau and on tour around Asia.

Fröst regularly collaborates with such musicians as Leif Ove Andsnes, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Thorleif Thedéen, Roland Pöntinen and the Belcea and Apollon Musagète Quartets. Upcoming chamber appearances include performances at the Schubertiade and a series of concerts with Marc-André Hamelin and Anthony Marwood in Boston, San Francisco and London’s Wigmore Hall.

Fröst conducted a series of concerts with the Oslo Philharmonic last season, as well as conducting programmes with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Norrkoping Symphony orchestras plus Swedish and Stuttgarter Kammerorchester. Future conducting dates include projects with Detroit Symphony and Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

Martin Fröst is the Artistic Director of the Vinterfest in Mora, and of the International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger, Norway. He has an extensive discography for BIS, with whom he has an exclusive contract; his recent CD ‘Dances to a Black Pipe’ received substantial critical acclaim.

Booklet for Roots