Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2009/11
From: X-Skyrr-MailScanner-acb@-----.is
Subj: [kl] =?ISO-8859-1?Q?red-hot_Fr=F6st?=
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:46:38 -0500
Hi, all.
Clarinet aficionados in Iceland have had quite the party this weekend. =20=
Swedish clarinetist Martin Fr=F6st came to town and held two =20
performances and a master class. I confess to not having known who he =20=
was before this past week, but everyone from clarinetists to members =20
of the string section of hte orchestra said he was a must-see, so off =20=
I went.
On Thursday evening, the Iceland Symphony played an all-Mozart program =20=
that began with the Figaro overture. Then Fr=F6st played the clarinet =20=
concerto on basset clarinet, and after intermission the orchestra =20
played the g-minor Symphony, #40. Fr=F6st nailed the concerto to the =20
floorboards and held the audience in the palm of his hand (which, for =20=
me, was perhaps the more interesting part; Mozart is always a crowd-=20
pleaser, but I haven't seen such ebullient enthusiasm for the clarinet =20=
concerto in a broad audience before). As an encore, he played a piece =20=
that he and his composer brother, G=F6ran Fr=F6st, had adapted and =20
arranged from a klezmer tune they had heard from Giora Feidman, and =20
brought the house down. And despite the vast difference between Mozart =20=
and Feidman, the juxtaposition just plain worked. Fr=F6st is a very =20
physical player to begin with, his abundant energy found an appealing =20=
outlet in the encore, and his overall stage presence was warm and =20
inviting.
I missed the master class on Friday evening, but my informants said he =20=
was helpful and engaging as a teacher, and that there was no =20
discernible nervousness among the students, who ranged from graduate =20
students to young high school-level players.
Yesterday he wound up the triple-header with a clarinet-piano recital =20=
in which he was accompanied by a brilliant 25-year-old Icelandic =20
pianist named Vikingur Heidar Olafsson (who is someone to watch). The =20=
first half of the program was French - Debussy Rhapsody, Francaix =20
Theme & Variations, and Poulenc Sonata. After intermission Martin =20
played a very evocative work of his own called Voices on Wings for =20
clarinet and tape, and wound up with the Brahms Sonata #2. While =20
everything was splendidly performed, perhaps it was the Poulenc that =20
stood out. Both players managed to extract maximum drama and vivacity =20=
from the piece, and Fr=F6st's tone and tone control in the slow passages =
=20
were especially noteworthy. Fr=F6st uses circular breathing freely - in =20=
Mozart and Debussy, and to great effect in the Poulenc and Brahms. =20
I've seen and heard a variety of competent players use circular =20
breathing, of course, but this was the first time I could have closed =20=
my eyes and not known that the performer was using that technique. =20
Other clarinetists in the audience had the same reaction. Fr=F6st has =20=
utterly conquered the pitch problems that can accompany circular =20
breathing, and I felt keenly how effective use of the technique moves =20=
the clarinet a large step closer to stringed instruments as regards =20
phrasing possibilities.
As on Thursday night with the orchestra, Fr=F6st had the audience eating =
=20
out of his hand. Vikingur Heidar Olafsson is a favorite son of =20
Iceland, anyway, and anything he does draws a large audience =20
predisposed to enjoy. But they both lived up to advance billing and =20
more besides. They ended their program with an pyrotechnic arrangement =20=
of the Monti Czardas, and here again, Fr=F6st's energy and physicality =20=
were a distinct asset. They played the encore as though they'd been =20
rehearsing for weeks, yet I heard Fr=F6st say to Vikingur's mom after =20=
the concert that they had not played the Czardas together until the =20
day before the recital, but that the rapport between them was so easy =20=
and natural that they decided to wing it. And it took flight: =20
Vikingur's sensitivity to the soloist and Martin's readiness to =20
communicate with the accompanist bridged the gap seamlessly.
In short, a good time was had by all. Fr=F6st is coming back to Iceland =20=
next spring to play the Kalevi Aho concerto with the orchestra. I hope =20=
there'll be another triple-header then.
Cheers,
Anna
******************************
Anna Benass=ED
State-Certified Translator
English =96 Icelandic
Lindarbraut 2a
170 Seltjarnarnes
ICELAND
tel: +354 562-6636
GSM: +354 895-1958
e-mail: acb@-----.is
unnarsteinn@-----.com
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