Crusell: The Three Clarinet Concertos

Hybrid Disc (SACD Surround / SACD Stereo / CD Stereo)

On the strength of his fine musicianship, his unusually inspiring and often unconventional performances and a long series of highly acclaimed recordings, Martin Fröst has become recognized as one of today's most interesting performers. In concert as well as on disc he covers a wide spectrum of styles and periods, from Kalevi Aho and Christopher Rouse, to Carl Nielsen, Brahms, Schumann and, of course, Mozart. His 2003 recording of Mozart's clarinet concerto was an amazing critical - and popular! - success, which he followed up with last year's disc of works by C.M. von Weber, by many reviewers claimed to be the finest recordings of these oft-recorded works. Martin Fröst's latest discs consists of the three concertos by Bernhard Henrik Crusell, the almost exact contemporary of Weber. Born in what is now Finland, Crusell joined the Swedish court orchestra in Stockholm at the age of only 15. Largely self-taught both as a clarinettist and composer, he did visit Berlin and Paris briefly, but his main sphere of activity was Stockholm. He nevertheless developed a reputation on the continent as one of the greatest virtuosos on the clarinet, and his three concertos were printed by prestigious publishing houses in Leipzig. Charming, spirited and often songful, these works also make great demands on the performer, demands which Martin Fröst is the equal of, here with the fine support of the Gothenburg Symhpony Orchestra and conductor Okko Kamu.