Staffan Mårtensson Clarinetto con forza

Forssell I begynnelsen... konsert för bassettklarinett och orkester
Bartosch Edström Redan morgon!
Söderberg Embryo for solo clarinet and live electronics
Dahl En fauns lunchrast
Lidholm Amicizia
Eklund Musica da camera VII per clarinetto ed archi
Sandström, S-D...there is a bluer sky, a wall with roses...
Improvisation to PW

PhonoSuecia PSCD 168

Trio TribukaitPetterssonBerg

Cristian Marina Alla Passacaglia (1999) per flauto, percussione ed organo
Torsten Nilsson Verwerfungen op. 40 (1970) for organ, marimba and percussion
Ingvar Lidholm Pastoral i skogen (1988) for flute, organ and vibraphone
Miklos Maros Feinschnitten (1993) for flute and percussion; Ricamo (1996) per flauto ed organo
Thomas Liljeholm Link (1998) for flute, percussion and organ

PhonoSuecia PSCD 165 Buy these CDs at Swedish Music Shop

An all too brief welcome for two exceptional and absolutely unique CDs newly released, further proof of the cultural vitality of Sweden's small population. Each deserves a track by track review, but doubling as webmaster and reviewer constrains that possibility.

Staffan Mårtensson is an exceptional clarinettist and innovator for his instrument, and his disc in PhonoSuecia's con forza series is a worthy successor to those for trombone and bassoon previously reviewed. He is concerned to test the instrument's possibilities and the Forssell concerto, commissioned after attending a performance of Jonas Forssell's opera Thine is the Kingdom (its DVD most strongly recommended by MP) exploits the limits of the extended-register bassett clarinet (rediscovered for the Mozart concerto). It is as exciting a concerto as can be found to challenge clarinettists, and is sure of audience appreciation.

The pieces assembled are all fresh in their very different idioms. Lidholm and Eklund bring Nielsen to mind productively. Sandström concentrates on quietness, premiered outdoors "a warm wind blowing, a weak tone from nowhere", a wondrous encore piece for a clarinet recital.

Organ recitals with trumpet are not uncommon, but Sweden's regular trio with flutes and percussion opens a new dimension, with some 70 compositions already dedicated ton the firmly established Trio TribukaitPetterssonBerg. An eclectic mix of idioms, the potential is well explored in duos and trios, mostly accessible but not simplistic music, which should stimulate organists everywhere to expand their concertising.