Dan Styffe / Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra / Jukka-Pekka Saraste

Rob Nairn / Bass World, International Society of Bassists

Sep 8, 2018

"Martinsson is one of the more dynamic and best-known young Swedish composers, his highly melodic solo concerti particularly attracting considerable attention. The concerto opens in the lowest registers of the bass, with a dark orchestral accompaniment that sounds threatening and foreboding. The soloist has almost a narrative role in the first movement and the melodic writing is a great vehicle for Styffe's exceptionally lyrical and expressive tone, and his superb Da Salo instrument. There is a lot in the scoring, sounding at times very atmospheric, at others like a highly dramatic film score, and the dialogue-style writing means there is never any trouble hearing the soloist. The second movement also opens with the bass, this time with a long unaccompanied cadenza, and some dramatic writing in octaves and harmonics, which Styffe navigates with ease and great musicality. The scoring throughout is exceptional and gently supports the soloist. The movement ends as it begins, with solo bass and many double stops; again a great vehicle for the magnificently expressive playing of the soloist. The third movement is much shorter and more aggressive. Solo passages are inter-dispersed or answered by dramatic orchestral interludes, building ultimately to a huge solo passage in 16ths, from the highest registers and descending to cover the whole range of the instrument."

Rolf Martinsson is represented by Gehrmans Musikförlag

Photography by Louise Martinsson and video by Tord Martinsson

© Rolf Martinsson 2019. All rights reserved.