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An unconventional album

Martin Fröst is consistent in his recordings, his latest album entitled Roots, which was released this year on March 11th, presents a subjective selection of sounds collected from almost 2000 years of musical development, including but not limited to the Western world. On this album, the clarinet player brings together music inspired from folk art, excerpts from sacred rituals, pure entertainment music, echoes of the Early Middle Ages, a Gregorian Chant, works signed by Hildegard von Bingen, Georg Philipp Telemann, Bernard Henrik Crusell, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Bela Bartok and Astor Piazolla, all of these composers united by the inspiration of traditional music and dance.

Martin Fröst elaborates: I have spent much time selecting the material for this album. I wanted it to be suitable for an album, but also for concerts before the public. That is why I have tried to put together different types of music which would be suitable, either by tonality, rhythm, or melodic ideas, without giving up the element of surprise.

Still, I would have preferred that Fröst chose music over the spectacle of music, though it was otherwise a high quality performance, as his audience has come to expect. I find it frustrating to listen to only 3 of Schumann's 5 pieces in folk style, and to Bela Bartok's 6 Romanian folk dances without the first of them. I believe I don't even have to mention the importance of the concept of unity sought by these composers when writing their works.

Who is Martin Fröst?

The 35 year old clarinet player lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and performs in concerts all around the world. Fröst studied the clarinet under Hans Deinzer in Germany and under Sölve Kingstedt and Kjell-Inge Stevensson in Sweden. His current repertoire includes, aside from the classic works for clarinet, a series of contemporary works that have been dedicated to him. Martin Fröst is otherwise actively promoting contemporary music and unconventional concerts. An eloquent example would be the Peacock Tales by Anders Hillborg, a score that incorporates elements of mime and dance. Other composers that have written musical works especially for Martin Fröst: Krzysztof Penderecki, Kalevi Aho, Rolf Martinsson, Bent Sørensen, Victoria Borisova - Ollas, Karin Rehnqvist and Sven - David Sandström.

The music of Central and Eastern Europe allows for new possibilities of expression for the clarinet

During an interview, Martin Fröst stated that: In three of my latest albums, "Fröst and Friends", "Dance of the Black Pipe" and the latest one, "Roots", I have explored the music of Central and Eastern Europe, inspired in particular by Brahms and klezmer (traditional Jewish music originating in Eastern Europe). I believe that exploring this music will lead to new possibilities of expression for the clarinet, because the sound of this music is beautifully and perfectly suited for this instrument.

I cannot help noticing Martin Fröst's diligent effort to show us just how versatile the clarinet is, and his choice of repertoire for this album was made in the best interest of the instrument. Fröst aimed to put on display the most interesting of the clarinet's possibilities of expression, rather than the music itself. The musical pieces he has chosen are merely the pretext to make the clarinet the star of the album. And I must admit that this endeavor was entirely successful. That is why I encourage you to vote for this album.