Martin Fröst - Discography

Dances to a black pipe (2011)
A. Copland: Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano (1947–48)
J. Brahms (arr. G. Fröst): Hungarian Dances Nos 1, 12, 13 & 21
G. Fröst: Klezmer Dances for clarinet and strings
W. Lutosławski: Dance Preludes (1955)
Á. Piazzolla: Oblivion for clarinet, solo violin and strings
A. Hillborg: Peacock Tales, chamber version for clarinet solo, piano and strings
F. Högberg: Dancing with Silent Purpose for clarinet, strings and tape

Martin Fröst, clarinet
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Richard Tognetti, conductor

BIS-SACD-1863

Fröst & friends (2010)
A. Scriabin: Prelude in B major, Op.16 No.1
J.S. Bach / Gounod: Ave Maria
J.S. Bach: Presto from Sonata for solo violin in G minor, BWV1001
J. Brahms: Wie Melodien zieht es mir, Op.105 No.1
Trad.: Let’s Be Happy
N. Rimsky-Korsakov: The Flight of the Bumble Bee Kreisler: Liebesleid
A. Messager: Solo de Concours
S. Rachmaninov: Vocalise
F. Chopin: Nocturne in E flat major, Op.9 No.2
R. Schumann: Dein Angesicht, Op.127 No.2
V. Monti: Csárdás
A. Hillborg: The Peacock Moment
M. Fröst: Improvisation (based on a theme by Malcolm Arnold)
C. Chaplin: Smile
G. Fröst: Brudvals för Karin och Martin
S. Henryson: Off Pist
E. Ahbez: Nature Boy

Martin Fröst, clarinet

with Roland Pöntinen, piano; Malena Ernman, mezzo-soprano; Torleif Thedéen, cello; Christian Svarfvar, violin; Åsa Thedéen, violin; Göran Fröst, viola; Svante Henryson, cello/double bass; Hermann Stefánsson, clarinet; Sölve Kingstedt, clarinet

BIS-SACD-1823

Christopher Rouse - Orchestral Music (2008)
Iscariot for chamber orchestra. Clarinet Concerto. Symphony No.1.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Alan Gilbert, conductor

BIS 1386

Crusell - The Three Clarinet Concertos (2008)
Clarinet Concerto in F minor, Op.5. Clarinet Concerto in B flat major, Op.11.Clarinet Concerto in E flat major, Op.1.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Göteborgs Symfoniker, orchestra. Okko Kamu, concuctor.

BIS SACD-1723

Nielsen & Aho (2007)
Carl Nielsen Clarinet Concerto. Kalevi Aho Clarinet Concerto.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Osmo Vänskä, conductor.

BIS SACD-1462

Reviews

"At last, a modern Nielsen to lead the field"
Gramophone 2007

Editor´s Choice again for Martin Fröst. His Brahms Sonatas was picked for a Gramophone Editor’s Choice, his Weber Concertos was ‘Choc’ in Le Monde de la Musique and ‘Diapason d’Or’ in Diapason...

Martin Fröst’s recording of the clarinet concertos by Carl Nielsen and Kalevi Aho, has already met with great acclaim. In the May issue of Gramophone, reviewer David Fanning describes Fröst as "the clarinettist of the moment for all-round artistry allied to adventurous approach to repertoire" and continues:

"He seems to have Nielsen's irascible masterpiece in his bloodstream, as surely as he has its technical contortions under his fingers." On the disc, Nielsen’s modern classic is coupled with Finnish composer Kalevi Aho’s clarinet concerto, specially written for Martin Fröst in 2004.

Greeted as “a work of beguiling beauty and huge excitement” at its London première in 2005, the work is described in the Gramophone review as one of the most “impressive head-on engagements with the concerto medium in recent years”, and the disc itself as being “of rare distinction." In his own comment, Gramophone’s editor James Inverne characterizes the new release as “Atmospheric and deeply absorbing.”

Gerhard Pätzig, Klassik Heute (26.03.2007):
"Hier werden Maßstäbe gesetzt … Vor allem ist natürlich der traumhaft perfekte Klarinettist Martin Fröst aus Schweden in der Titelrolle der CD hervorzuheben … Wann hat es den Glücksfall solch einer rundum authentischen Ersteinspielung zuletzt gegeben? ... Wer wagt jetzt den Bläserwettstreit mit Martin Fröst? Selbst den frühmodernen „Neuklassiker“ der zwanziger Jahre des vorigen Jahrhunderts, das Klarinettenkonzert des dänischen Nationalkomponisten Carl Nielsen (1928), wissen die Protagonisten der vorliegenden CD mit neuen Spannungsfeldern auszustatten ... Praktisch und theoretisch hat diese Einspielung alle Chancen, Furore zu machen."

David Hurwitz, Classics Today.com:
“Intensely lyrical, thematically memorable, and beautifully scored, this piece [Aho] easily should find a home in concert halls throughout the world. Aho has said that he writes melodically because it is still the best tool for the musician to convey the most expressive information in the smallest space; the truth of his observation is evident in every bar of this evocative concerto... The Nielsen Concerto, perhaps the greatest work in the medium, also receives an outstanding performance... This is an excellent release... “

In the May issue of Gramophone, reviewer David Fanning describes Fröst as ‘the clarinettist of the moment for all-round artistry allied to adventurous approach to repertoire’ and continues: ‘He seems to have Nielsen's irascible masterpiece in his bloodstream, as surely as he has its technical contortions under his fingers.’ On the disc, Nielsen’s modern classic is coupled with Finnish composer Kalevi Aho’s clarinet concerto, specially written for Martin Fröst in 2004. Greeted as ‘a work of beguiling beauty and huge excitement’ at its London première in 2005, the work is described in the Gramophone review as one of the most ‘impressive head-on engagements with the concerto medium in recent years’, and the disc itself as being ‘of rare distinction.’ In his personal comment, Gramophone’s editor James Inverne characterizes the new release as ‘Atmospheric and deeply absorbing.’__The organization The German Record Critics' Award has also singled out the disc for particular mention, including it on its ‘Bestenliste’, a selection of the best releases of the second quarter of 2007. The disc has furthermore received top marks on German web site Klassik Heute (‘Here new standards are set…’) and was selected as one of the top ten releases of the month in the May issue of French magazine Classica-

Weber - Clarinet Concertos (2006)
Concerto No.1 in F minor, Op.73. Quintet in B flat major, Op.34. Concerto No.2 in E flat major, Op.74. Concertino in E flat major, Op.26.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Tapiola Sinfonietta. Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor.

BIS-SACD-1523

Reviews

CLASSICSTODAY.COM´S 2007 BEST OF THE YEAR
C.M.von Weber Clarinet concertos
Fröst just may be the finestclarinetist alive, and this entire production is typical of what wehave come to expect from BIS: stunning sonics, high artistic standards,and intelligent repertoire selection. There is no more exciting label around today.

Artistic Quality 10 / 10 Sound Quality
Dave Hurwitz, December 2006, Classicstoday.com:
This is an absolutely wonderful disc in every way. Weber's clarinet music is delightful, and it's hard to imagine it being better played or recorded.

Martin Fröst has such a supple, liquid timbre that at times you could almost swear there were words behind the notes, especially in the slow movements of all four works. And few soloists manage to bring such an irrepressible feeling of joy to the virtuoso passages that you can hear, say, in the finale of the Second concerto ...

There's no need to go on at length: this is now the reference recording for this music. It defines "state of the art."

Four Stars
Hugh Canning, 19 November 2006, The Sunday Times:
All four works recorded here were written between 1811 and 1815, when Weber was in his late twenties. High-spirited pieces imbued with the comic spirit of Italian opera buffa in the fast movements, they may not proclaim the masterly orchestrator
of Der Freischütz (1821) and Oberon (1826), but they are deliciously melodic and technically dazzling ...

The Swedish clarinettist Martin Frost is wonderfully witty in
the dizzying finale of the Quintet, and his seamless legato really sings in the slow movements. Sheer delight.

John Warrack, February 2006, Gramophone:
A master clarinettist serves up a tempting dish of Weber. Martin Fröst's style of playing is well suited to Weber: he has a clear, fresh tone and fingers undefeated by even the most sensational of the applause music that ends some of these works. He is not afraid of considerable tempo variations within
a movement, as Weber is on record as having wanted ...

These are attractive, exhilarating performances, clearly recorded so as to do justice to the orchestral
effects which were always part of Webert's exuberant invention.

Colin Anderson, December 2006, classicalsource.com:
All of Weber’s clarinet-and-orchestra music – full of melody, fantasy, and show-stopping antics for the soloist. Martin Fröst plays quite brilliantly – with lyrical intensity, derring-do, a range of dynamics and colours, and he is vividly accompanied. The ‘addition’ is the Clarinet Quintet expanded
from string quartet to string orchestra, a most attractive work. The recorded sound is mellow and ideally balanced.

Sofia Nyblom, 6 December 2006, Svenska Dagbladet:
Världsstjärnan Martin Fröst tar nappatag med Carl Maria von Weber,
tonsättaren som bryggar över gapet mellan Mozart och Rossini med ett
dramatiskt tonspråk präglat av virtuositet och vemod. Konserterna färgas av enorm upptäckarglädje, komponerade under klarinettens första årtionden som soloinstrument. Bombastisk som en buffabaryton, flörtig som en kammarsnärta – Webers röst blir riktigt påträngande i skivans huvudnummer, den första klarinettkonserten från 1811, och överraskar med romantisk tyngdlöshet i den andra konsertens romanza. Orkesterarrangemanget av klarinettkvintetten övertygar mindre, men får bländande lansering av denne solist som uppfinner musiken med varje andetag.

Interpretation: * * * * *
Klangqualität: * * * * *
Stefan Drees, 10 December 2006, klassik.com:

... Der junge schwedische Klarinettist Martin Fröst beherrscht diese Facetten mit Bravour. Zusammen mit der Tapiola Sinfonietta unter Jean-Jacques Kantorow führt er die Zuhörer durch ein wahres Wechselbad der verschiedensten, oft widerstreitenden Gefühle. Sein Vortrag hat eine phänomenale Ausstrahlungskraft und verleiht jeder einzelnen Komposition ein individuelles Gesicht, das im Werkverlauf behutsam modelliert und verändert wird. Nicht nur Ausdruckstiefe und Klangschönheit
regieren hier, sondern auch ein ausgeklügeltes Raffinement bei der klanglichen und dynamischen Abtönung von Läufen und melodischen Phrasen, das sich manchmal anschmiegsam schlanker, manchmal volltönend warmer und manchmal auch schneidend kalter Klanggebung zu bedienen weiß und dabei doch niemals den Bezug zur Logik des Werkganzen oder zum Orchester verliert. Ganz besonders
überzeugt Frösts Art der Phrasierung, die immer nah an dem Vorbild der menschlichen Stimme bleibt und der Musik Facetten einschreibt, die man so bislang kaum gehört hat.

Auch der schlanke, sehr gut durchhörbare Orchesterklang und die hervorragende Balance zwischen Solist und Orchester tragen zu dem gelungenen Eindruck dieser Produktion des schwedischen Labels BIS bei. Wunderschön und in der
klanglichen Wirkung atemberaubend ist etwa der außergewöhnliche Mittelteil aus dem zweiten Satz des f-Moll-Konzerts, der nur vom choralartigen Spiel dreier Hörner und der solistischen Klarinette bestritten wird ...

Neben den drei konzertanten Werken enthält die SACD noch Webers Klarinettenquintett B-Dur op. 34 in einer Bearbeitung für Klarinette und
Streichorchester von Jean-Jacques Kantorow ... Dennoch bringt Fröst auch dieses Stück zum Erstrahlen, und insbesondere der Klarinetteneinsatz im Kopfsatz sowie die stimmungsvoll gezeichnete ‘Fantasia’ lassen jegliche Einwände vergessen.

Artistique 10 / 10 Technique
Christophe Huss, December 2006, Classicstoday.fr:
Voici un disque extraordinaire qui vous fera passer des fêtes de fin d'année rayonnantes. Le clarinettiste Martin Fröst s'était déjà signalé au sein du catalogue
Bis, mais là il renvoie la très large majorité de la concurrence dans les cordes. Tous les clarinettistes s'attaquent un jour ou l'autre à Weber, une fois qu'ils ont enregistré Mozart, mais la prestation de Fröst va "au-delà de la clarinette": c'est un concentré d'énergie et de jubilation, de rondeur virevoltante, d'attaques
subtiles et de longues phrases.
Surtout (écoutez la dernière note du 1er Concerto), aucun son n'est poussé. La sonorité est d'une égalité et d'une rondeur parfaite, les arches musicales sont longues sans signe de fatigue. En plus - et ça change de la mode de la "prise de son clinique" - le son de l'instrument est idéalement capté et spatialisé, sans que les prises de souffle de l'interprète s'immiscent dans le plaisir musical. S'ajoutant à la liste des avantages du disque Bis, il y a l'habile orchestration par Jean-Jacques Kantorow du Quintette, qui donne au programme le cossu minutage de 75 minutes. L'accompagnement du violoniste-chef à la tête du Tapiola Sinfonietta
supporte avec rondeur et distinction l'exceptionnelle prestation de Fröst dans un disque irrésistible.

Martin Nyström, November 2006, Dagens Nyheter (Sweden):
Hör hur klarinettstämman gör entré i den andra satsen i den andra klarinettkonserten: vad har den varit med om? Och vad är det för en scen den träder ut på?

Eller hör den andra satsen i den första konserten: vad är det som sker när allt reduceras till en avlägset klingande blåsarserenad?

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) var en av de tidiga romantikerna och skapade en musik som alltid startar i oro och förtrollning, som leker med gränsen mellan det naturliga och det teatrala (ungefär som hos C J L Almqvist) och har en känsla av namn- och identitetslöshet som sitt magnetiska nav. En undantagszon som
också möjliggör förvandlingens frihet.

Efter att ha spelat in Schumanns, Mozarts och Brahms klarinettmusik, med hänförande resultat, har Martin Fröst nu nått fram till Carl Maria von Webers tre klarinettkonserter (alla från 1811) och den något senare kvintetten i ett stråkorkesterarrangemang. En musik som Fröst spelar lika gäckande och förbjudet vackert som vore han en Tintomara-figur. På gränsen mellan ren natur och total utbytbarhet. Världsklass!

CD CHOICE OF THE YEAR
Martin Nyström, 6 December 2006, Dagens Nyheter (Sweden):
Martin Frösts klarinettspel bli bara mer och mer hänförande. I Carl Maria von Webers tidigt romantiska musik lyfter han fram det underskönt förtrollande och förbjudet gäckande. Som hörde den hemma på en främmande teaterscen i en avlägsen vildmark.
En musik som är lika ironiskt förvandlande som ändlöst längtande. Och som aldrig kan svara på var den befinner sig innan den är på väg någon annanstans.

CD CHOICE OF THE YEAR
Maria Schottenius, 6 December 2006, Dagens Nyheter (Sweden): Sveriges magiker nummer ett. Med klarinetten som trollstav.

Miriam Stumpfe, 4 November 2006, Bayern 4 Klassik:
Der Klarinettist Martin Fröst aus Schweden ist vielleicht der sensibelste Klarinettist, der auf Europas Konzertbühnen gerade unterwegs ist. Der Mittdreißiger weiß um die Kraft, die vom kleinen gewitzten Detail ausgeht und begeisterte in den letzten Jahren schon mit Einspielungen von Mozarts Klarinettenkonzert oder Brahms'
Klarinettenquintett. Jetzt hat er zusammen mit der Tapiola Sinfonietta und Jean-Jacques Kantorow Konzertstücke von Carl Maria von Weber eingespielt und verzaubert auch hier: Beweglich wie Quecksilber ist sein Spiel, duftig, ätherisch,
wechselt aber im Blitztempo auch in verschattetes Vibrato. Mit Hingabe feilt Fröst an jeder noch so schlichten Melodie und mit seiner verspielten Leichtigkeit trifft er dabei genau den richtigen Ton für Webers Klarinetten-Kompositionen.

Dirk Hühner, 13 November 2006, RBB Kulturradio am Mittag:
Das Concertino, die beiden Konzerte und das Quintett werden vom jungen
schwedischen Klarinettisten Martin Fröst mit großartiger Leichtigkeit gespielt. Jenseits aller Freischütz-Düsternis kommt hier eine gutmütige Virtuosität zum Zuge, die mit technischen Finessen kokettiert und in den langsamen Sätzen herrlich
schmachtet. Martin Fröst ist mit seinem vitalen und variablen Spiel voller Überraschungen zu den ganz großen seines Fachs zu zählen.

Martin Fröst wirkt wie frischer Sauerstoff für Webers Klarinettenwerke – selten waren
sie so spritzig und agil zu hören.

KLARINETTENS KONGE MARTIN FRØST
Kjell Hillveg, 3 November 2006, Aftonposten (Norway):
Så har han lagt gullegget nok en gang. Martin Frøst. Dette svenske klarinettspillende miraklet. Fra før har jeg gang på gang i overbegeistrede ordelag priset hans
eksepsjonelle talent. For det er eksepsjonelt. Hvert eneste sekund jeg låner øre til hva den mannen greier å fremskape av ölyderö på sitt instrument, blir jeg helt matt av forundring. Hvordan er det mulig. Hva er det han foretar seg? Jeg har egentlig ikke ord. Jeg tror nesten, som med Mozarts geni, ikke det lar seg forklare. Pusten, eller
sirkelpustteknikken hans, som gjør han i stand til å skape linjer så lange at vi arme lyttere sitter og puster for ham. Tonekvaliteten, dynamikken. Hvordan er det mulig å
kombinere alt til en slik fullkommen musikalsk synergieffekt? Jeg aner ikke. Jeg lar meg bare forføre av dette supertalentet.

(...) Og nå er han altså her igjen med alt hva Carl Maria von Weber skrev for klarinett og orkester. Som bonus gir han oss kammerorkesterversjonen av hans klarinett-kvintett (...) Og når vi hører de nyansene som fremkommer når Martin Frøst presenterer disse verkene, så blir ord egentlig bare fattige elementer. Man må bare
lytte oppmerksomt og intenst. Hans pianissimo er enda mykere enn tidligere. Ja, i den langsomme satsen av Ess-durkonserten forsvinner det nesten. Og i den
langsomme satsen i kvintetten skaper han noe jeg ikke kan huske å ha hørt før. Staccatopassasjer av legatokarakter. Staccato er å støte tonene, mens legato er å binde dem sammen. Her kombinerer handette på en genial måte. Helt egalt sammenhengende. Ufattelig, rett og slett. Det er som å titte på de fineste champagnebobler i et vakkert høystettet krystallglass.

(...) At Webers lange sangbare kantilener også kommer helt til sin rett, er vel unødvendig å nevne når Frøst står på podiet, men kombinert med en superrask fingerferdighet og en fandenivoldsk snert i ansatsen får musikken ekstra dimensjoner.
Med andre ord. Her har vi utvilsomt en av årets mest hørbare utgivelser. Både når det gjelder vakker musikk og begavet musisering. Tapiola Sinfonietta blir dirigert av Jean Jaques Kantorow, som for øvrig er ansvarlig for orkesterarrangementet av kvintetten. Og solist og orkester er fullstendig på bølgelengde. Bravo û bravissimo, Signor Frøst.

Mästerligt av Martin Fröst
Ulf Gustavsson, 17 November 2006, Upsala Nya Tidning:
Carl Maria von Webers musik står mitt i den tyska romantiska traditionen. Hans båda klarinettkonserter från 1811 hör, jämte operan Friskytten, till hans mest spelade verk. I händerna på internationellt etablerade klarinettisten Martin Fröst och finska Tapiola Sinfonietta under Jean-Jacques Kantorow blir dessa konserter älskvärda, sprittande
romantiska sagostycken, på den klassiska sonatformens grund.
Såväl orkestern som Fröst tillför en smidig och lätt rytmik, den senares frasering och melodikänsla i den frikostigt virtuosa soliststämman är exemplarisk, och lyssnarupplevelsen förhöjs av SACD multikanalsljud, vilket är en teknik som svenska
BIS behärskar väl.Som bonus ingår ytterligare klarinettverk av von Weber, däribland en Concertino som också den utstrålar virtuos magi och lyster i Frösts händer.

Brahms (2005)
Sonata No.1 in F minor for clarinet and piano, Op.120 No.1; Sonata No.2 in E flat major for clarinet and piano, Op.120 No.2; Trio in A minor for clarinet, piano and cello, Op.114.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Roland Pöntinen, piano. Torleif Thedéen, cello.

BIS SACD-1353

Reviews

double-five-star review of Martin Fröst's recent Brahms recording on BIS, which appears as the 'Chamber Choice' disc in the February 06 issue of BBC Music Magazine

Brahms had famously made up his mind to retire as a composer when the playing of the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld inspired him to write four substantial works for the instrument. Clarinettists don't always make this change of heart plausible, but the young Swede Martin Fröst plays with elegant phrasing and beautiful, evenly produced tone of a kind that might well have done the trick. In the two sonatas, he's perfectly matched by his compatriot Roland Pöntinen in performances which capture Brahms's serious, autumnal mood without undue heaviness: the way they drift with apparently telepathic understanding through the opening of the E flat Sonata is especially memorable, but entirely characteristic. And while some listeners might quibble at Pöntinen's occasional tendency to lead with his left hand in chordal passages, it seems to me extremely effective in conveying depth without weight.

Among rival recordings of the Sonatas, Kálmán Berkes with Jenö Jandó on Naxos stands out as a useful bargain: but it seems clumsy and sometimes coarse alongside the newcomer. The BIS disc also offers exceptionally fine sound, natural and well balanced, and the considerable bonus of another of Brahms's late clarinet works, the Trio. Here the cellist Torleif Thedéen proves as adept as his colleagues in producing singing tone and velvet pianissimos, and equally sympathetic to the ageing Brahms's elusive blend of resigned melancholy and abiding generosity of invention.

PERFORMANCE: 5/5
SOUND 5/5

BBC Music Magazine, february 2006

Martin Fröst's new recording of Brahms Clarinet Sonatas and Trio with Roland Pöntinen and Torleif Thedéen has earnt fantastic reviews across the board. Gramophone Magazine chose the disc amongst its top 10 Editor's Choice CD with the comment "Martin Fröst is a young Swedish clarinettist currently making waves on the concert circuit. Here, with imaginative, urgent playing, he shows why." The BBC Music Magazine chose it as chamber recording of the month with the review " In the two sonatas, he’s perfectly matched by his compatriot Roland Pöntinen in performances which capture Brahms`serious, autumnal mood without undue heaviness: the way they drift with apparently telepatic understanding through the opening of the E flat Sonata is especially memorable, but entirely characteristic." Classicstoday.com also chose it as the Recording of the Month and wrote "Martin Fröst is as fine a clarinettist as anyone alive today, and he teams up with two equally superb colleagues in presenting exceptional performances of these three chestnuts of the chamber-music-with-winds repertoire ... Fröst plays with a warm, liquid tone, and his intonation is dead accurate. These were magnificent performances, as fine as any available."

Other reviewers have written with the same alacrity:

"Brahms had basically given up composing, declaring himself empty, when he was introduced to the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, and found himself refilled with inspiration. Clarinettists ought to remember this every time they play Brahms's Sonatas, and ask themselves what kind of magical sound quality and musical expressivity could have been the catalyst for such profoundly beautiful love poems for their instrument?

Martin Fröst knows: his smooth, even tone is deliciously seductive, and he can darken or lighten the sound at will, from velvet warmth with a sensitively applied vibrato, to a soaring clarity that never goes louder than lovely, as they say.

Fröst and Pöntinen approach the Sonatas with a fluidity of phrasing that has to have been carefully rehearsed, yet feels utterly spontaneous, and when they're joined by cellist Torleif Thedéen for the Clarinet Trio, the sense of nostalgic melancholy deepens. I could write more, but if you'll excuse me, I'd rather like to be seduced all over again."
CD of the Week, Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3, CD Review, March 2006

"Martin Fröst and pianist Roland Pöntinen demonstrate the complete artistic beauty of these works. For Brahms it was important to devote himself to intimacy and spirituality rather than sensationalism or big effects. Martin Fröst fulfills the composer's wish with equal measure of
masterfullness and feeling. His clarinet sings, indulges and dreams. Cellist Torleif Thedéen joins them in the trio where the balance of sound is equally fine and homogenous."
Katharina Honke, February / March, Crescendo 2006

"The mixture of his nuances results in an exquisite subtlelty. He doesn't force the sound, nor the phrasing ... This disc is a jewel of refinement. "
Christophe Huss, Classics Today France, February 2006

"The Swedish clarinettist Martin Fröst is one of the most well loved performers of his instrument, and his playing on this disc proves why. He completely grabs you with his interpretation of the clarinet sonatas ... an excellent collection of hree lovely Brahms works."
Luister Magazine, March 2006

"Blandness is something one could certainly never accuse Martin Fröst, Roland Pöntinen and Torleif Thedéen (all artists I admire enormously) of. Whereas most recordings stem from the late-Romantic tradition of setting these autumnal scores in a warm glow, the BIS team are more physically bracing, playing with a rare emotional intensity and passion that carry all before them."
Julian Haylock, International Record Review, February 2006

"... wonderful, blossoming sound that sweeps you away in torrents of romantic fury, and Mr Fröst brings a young mans' take to these introspective, intimate works. I would not want to be without this disc, as one can almost see the bemused Brahms watching performers 30 years his junior attempting to grapple with the autumnal emotions of his old age - and heartily approving."
American Recording Guide, April 2006

"After hearing Martin Fröst’s stellar recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and Quintet, I expected similarly great things from his new Brahms disc. Fröst doesn’t disappoint ... The Swedish clarinetist is never content to issue a steady stream of golden sound. His dynamic range and variety of timbres are always inventive and often striking. The sonatas in particular are finely balanced, with the pianist Roland Pöntinen an equal partner. Rarely have I heard the piano part projected with such clarity. There are moments when Fröst nearly vanishes, playing magical pianissimos in the clarinet’s lowest register, properly registering what Brahms indicates in the score ... Fröst’s playing is so assured, his technical command so complete, and his musicianship of such a high caliber that whatever he attempts is convincing."

Karin Rehnqvist - Arktis Arktis! (2005)
On a Distant Shore - Concerto for clarinet and orchestra. Beginning, for piano trio. Arktis Arktis! for orchestra. I Himmelen (In Heaven´s Hall) for treble choir and solo voices.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Adolf Fredrik´s Girls Choir. Kungsbacka Piano Trio.
Svenska Kammarorkestern. Petter Sundkvist, conductor. John Storgårds, conductor. Bo Johansson, conductor.

BIS 1396

Holmboe - Concertos for Piano, Clarinet and Oboe; Beatus Parvo (2004)
Concerto No.1 for piano and orchestra, Op.17. Concerto No.3 for clarinet and orchestra, Op.21. Concerto No.7 for oboe and orchestra, Op.37. Beatus Parvo for choir and orchestra, Op.117 (text: Psalm 32).
Gordon Hunt, oboe. Martin Fröst, clarinet. Noriko Ogawa, piano. Danish National Opera Choir, choir. Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, orchestra.
Owain Arwel Hughes, conductor

BIS 1176

Mozart (2003)
Mozart clarinet concerto & quintet
Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Peter Oundjian, Vertavo Quartet

BIS SACD-1263

Reviews

Die schönste,bewegenste Mozart-Erfahrung
seit langer Zeit bescherte mir Schwedens neu
klarinetten-Star Martin Fröst.....schafft es der
zugleich unbekümmert-locker wie hoch
konzentrirt-sensibel deklamierende
Schwede,einen nach nur wenigen Takten das
Wunder Mozart ganz neu erleben,,neu
durchleben zu lassen,als hörte man diesen
ätherischen Abschiedsgesang zum ersten Mal.
Noch nie habe ich dieses letzte vielleicht
schönste Konzert Mozarts als so
anthropomorph,als in klang gezetzte
Humanitas,als reinsten,innersten Seelegesang
Wahrnehmen können,ohne eine spur von
Sentimentalität oder Larmoyanz,Sondern als
frohe Botshaften eines durch und durch
jugendlichen Genies. Die flüssigen natürlichen
tempi,die Fröst und die wunderbar atmend
mitspielende amsterdamer sinfonietta unter
Peter Oundijan unterstützen den Eindrück
beseelter Lebendigkeit. Solche "Auratiker" wie
Fröst gibt es selbst unterSpitzenmuskern nur
selten.
(Attila Csampai Fono Forum)

10/ 10

In the liner notes to this disc, Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst is described as a "daring performer" who has "stretched the limits of musical expression", likely
owing to his frequent collaborations with several contemporary composers including Anders Hillborg and Krzysztof Penderecki.
"Daring" does not leap to mind when describing Mozart, and happily Fröst himself does not flaunt his presumed reputation when tackling these popular works. While some may find
Fröst's readings on the "cool" side, it is largely because they are just so perfectly executed and pristine that you are left hopelessly grasping for something that might be
missing.
After all, what ultimately determines Mozartian performance standards but the expectation of technical perfection? In no
small part aided by the redoubtable
Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Vertavo
String Quartet, Fröst steals the show with his sultry tone, sensitive phrasing, and utterly beguiling
pianissimos, momentarily making us
forget that several other great performances of the Concerto have graced the catalog for decades.

Fröst's tasteful choice of the basset clarinet in the Concerto (for which the work was originally conceived) provides an added bonus, thanks to the instrument's rich, dark-hued sonority. Fröst is truly at his best in the slow movements of these works where his uncanny dynamic control is on ample display,
particularly in the short cadenza of the Concerto and in the scale passages in the Quintet that connect the main themes of the Larghetto (kudos to the fine Vertavos for
providing just the right amount of
intimacy to the ensemble balance). The outer movements are equally satisfying, played with appropriate
jauntiness, flair, and expert technique by all concerned.

Of course, the sonics bear some
attention as these works receive their debut here in the
new multi-channel SACD medium. In
this 5.0 DSD recording the engineers were quite careful not to overexpose the surround channels, which are unobtrusive beyond adding minimal ambience to the overall soundstage. Balances are uniformly excellent,
with the soloist never sounding boomy or overbearing. Otherwise, this recording boasts the natural sound for which BIS is famous, and
its inherent qualities are heard to
similarly pleasing effect in stereo (CD and SACD alike).
This is a first-rate and welcome entrant in a decidedly crowded field, as close to perfection
as we have any right to expect.

(Michael Liebowitz,
ClassicsToday.)

This new disc brings together two of Mozarts
major works for the instrument, the concerto
and the Quintet.Throughout,Frösts playing is
fresh,sensitive and effortless with a
particularly resonant lower register.
(Classic fm January 2004)

Frösts beautiful sound,formidable technique
and expressive way of phrasing puts an
individual stamp on this music.

Martin Fröst plays Basset clarinet with the
extra low notes of Mozarts presumed orginal
version and succeeds in getting them
unusually well in tune.His light,lively approach
to the outer movments and his inward but not
over-solemn reading of the Adagio are well
matched by the chamber-sized Amsterdam
orchestra.

(BBC Music Magazine nov 2003)

Anders Hillborg (2003)
Clarinet Concerto, Liquid Marble, Violin Concerto
Martin Fröst, Anna Lindal, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen

Ondine 1006-2

Schumann (2002)
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Roland Pöntinen, piano.

BIS 944

Reviews

James MacMillan (2002)
Tuireadh för clarinet and string orchestra.
Martin Fröst, clarinet. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Osmo Vänskä.

BIS 1169

The Pied Piper of the Opera (2000)
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Lan Shui.

BIS 1053

Reviews

Der Titel der hier mit Beifall vorzustellenden
Produktion, Rattenfänger der Oper (The Pied
Piper), zielt eindeutig auf den Solisten. Denn
der junge schwedische Klarinettenvirtuose
Martin Fröst ist es, der mit einer
unwahrscheinlich ausgereiften Technik und
einer schon als traumhaft einzustufenden
Bläserkunst seine Zuhörer umgarnt.
Zumindest weiß er sie ganz und gar in den
magischen Zirkel seines "rattenfängerischen"
Klarinettenzaubers hineinzuziehen. Ideale
Beschwörungsformeln liefern ihm dazu die
hier vertretenen Komponisten und
Opernbearbeiter - voran Rossini - mit allen
zur Verfügung stehenden Raffinessen,
melodischen Verführungskünsten und oft
tollkühnen Spielanforderungen (Tr. 1, 4 oder
7). (Klassik Heute)2001

"Fröst is so smooth and polished that at first
you do not realize how fast he is playing. It
sounds so easy for him! Many players can play
fast, but Fröst can do it without sacrificing
beauty of tone or articulation. The essence of
his playing is how musically he can instantly
alternate between fast and slow, loud and soft,
showy and soulful."
(CD review 2001, Gregory Barrett, The clarinet)

"One of the things that immediately struck me
about this recording was the phenomenal
virtuosity of the young Martin Fröst. His
command of the clarinet is astounding: he
handles the technical demands of the Rossini
Donna del Lago variations and Danzi´s
Fantasia on La ci Darem la Mano with an ease
that one cannot help but envy. Yet when it
comes to finding the right shading, nuance, or
emotional tone in a lyrical moment, as in the
Traviata or the Weber, Hallström, and Saint-
Saëns arias, Fröst´s sense of the dramatic and
seamless, warm delivery is also unfailing.
Clearly Martin Fröst is a major emerging artist,
gifted with both the tools and the talent."
(CD review July/August 2001, Carter,
American Record Guide)

"Denn der junge schwedische
Klarinettenvirtuose Martin Fröst ist es, der mit
einer unwahrscheinlich ausgereiften Technik
und einer schön als traumhaft einzustufenden
Bläserkunst seine Zuhörer umgarnt."
(CD review 2001, Gerhard Pätzig)

"And I fell straight in on a musical number
with a young absolutely fabulous clarinet
player... But one thing was sure, he presented
a playing which made my hair stand up-
right... for likes of the kind of musical
acrobatics which was heard there one seldom
experiences."
(CD review February 2001, Kjell Hillveg,
Aftenposten)

Martin Fröst plays concertos dedicated to Benny Goodman (1998)
Copland, Hindemith, Arnold. Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Lan Shui.

BIS 893

Reviews

"Martin Fröst is an outstanding young clarinetist, his tone as rich and full though for obvious reasons purer than Goodman´s and his performance is as individual."
(CD review September 1998, Classic CD)

"Again Fröst cajoles the ear with his pliable line and the effect is unexpectedly mellow. The "Ostinato" scherzo rollicks vivaciously, and then comes a tender, yearning slow movement, which the soloist treats with an almost improvisatory feeling."
(CD review, Grammophone Award Issue 1998)

"That said, how´s Fröst? Well, it´s evident in the Copland that he´s gifted with a mellow liquid tone that goes for the long line, which he expresses with a vast array of tone colors and ways of changing weight, emphasis, accent and rhythmic style. His musicianship and technical virtuosity come across even better, though, in the other two works.... this is music that even non-fans of Hindemith will find seductive, especially with the array of sensitive moods Fröst creates so beautifully - and that is the word to describe it: beautiful."
(CD review November/December 1998, American Record Guide)

"Fröst may be a new name to many of you, but one sure to become more familiar. His performances of these works are stunning."

"The beginning of the Copland Concerto is a challenge for any performer. Fröst plays with beautiful control, perfect intonation and a lyricism that is breathtaking. He manages to put his signature on the cadenza while being true to the spirit of the music. As can be heard in all the music on this CD, his articulation is superb. Fröst obviously enjoys the music and performs wiht just the right amount of humor. Although there are many recordings of this piece available, I would recommend that you place this one in your library along with your current favorite."

"Fröst is an extraordinary clarinetist with brilliant technique and lovely tone who certainly deserves the attention of clarinetists everywhere. His sense of style is wonderful, and it is a joy to listen to such masterful performances."
(CD review Ocotber 1999, Linda Bartley, The Clarinet)

´HEKAS (1997)
Östgöta Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Arie Van Beek. Martin Fröst, clarinet. Christian Lindberg, trombone.

BIS 818

CLOSE UPS (1996)
Music for Clarinet and Percussion. Niklas Brommare. Martin Fröst.

BIS 744

Krysztof Penderecki - Chamber works for strings and clarinet (1994)
String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2. Prelude for Clarinet Solo. Der unterbrochene Gedanke. String Trio. Quartet for Clarinet & String Trio. The Tale Quartet. Martin Fröst, clarinet.

BIS 652

Reviews

´French Beauties and Swedish Beasts´ (1994)
Martin Fröst, clarinet. Roland Pöntinen, piano.

BIS 693

Reviews