Garden of Devotion Lisa Larsson Rolf Martinsson
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GardeN of Devotion Lisa Larsson Rolf Martinsson Swedish soprano Lisa Larsson started Rolf Martinsson is one of Sweden’s leading composers. His trumpet concerto “Bridge”, written her career as a flautist and later studied for Håkan Hardenberger, led to an international breakthrough and has to date been performed singing in Basel. Her first engagements more than 60 times worldwide. Martinsson collaborates with top soloists such as Lisa Larsson, followed at the Zürich Opera House, Anne Sofie von Otter, Martin Fröst and Christian Lindberg, with conductors such as Alan Gilbert, where she performed with conductors Andris Nelsons, Manfred Honeck, Vassily Sinaisky and John Storgårds and with the major Nordic such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt and orchestras as well as the BBC SO, CBSO, Vienna RO, Bamberger Symphoniker, NDR Hamburg, Franz Welser-Möst. Cleveland O, Detroit SO in venues such as Musikverein/Konzerthaus Vienna, Philharmonie/ Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw, Salzburger Festspielhaus, Royal Festival Hall and Carnegie Following her debut at La Scala di Hall. As of today, Martinsson has composed some 130 works, including orchestral pieces, solo Milano in “Die Zauberflöte” under concertos, chamber music and choir music. His work list also includes pieces for solo voice with Riccardo Muti, she swiftly developed various ensembles, most of which dedicated to soprano Lisa Larsson. an international opera career, in particular as a Mozart singer with guest Martinsson has been featured composer at the Stockholm International Composer Festival, appearances at renowned opera houses Composer in Residence (CiR) at Concertgebouw with the Netherlands PO/CO 14-15 and CiR and festivals such as the Bavarian State with the Helsingborg SO 14-17. His highly acclaimed trumpet concerto has been performed at the Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Tanglewood Music Festival by Hardenberger/Boston SO/Nelsons. The soloist and conductor also Garden, Teatro La Fenice, Grand performed the piece at the Nobel Prize concert with the Royal Stockholm PO. Théâtre de Genève, Opéra de Monte Carlo as well as at the Salzburg Festival, Future highlights include three CD recordings with Lisa Larsson and a world premiere by Larsson/ Lucerne Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Malmö SO, following the two successful co-commissions with Larsson – “Ich denke Dein...”, co- and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. commissioned by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, Philharmonia O, Netherlands PO, Helsinki PO and Gothenburg SO, and “Garden Lisa Larsson is also known as a remarkably versatile concert singer. In recent years she has constantly of Devotion”, co-commissioned by expanded her broad repertoire with works by Mahler, Richard Strauss, Brahms, Berlioz, Britten and the Netherlands, Scottish, Stuttgart Stravinsky. Conductors she has performed with include Claudio Abbado, Sir Colin Davis, David and Swedish chamber orchestras and Zinman, Vassily Sinaisky, Edo de Waart, Louis Langrée, Sir Roger Norrington, Vasily Petrenko, Staatsorchester Weimar along with some John Storgårds. This with orchestras such as the Berlin PO, Frankfurt Radio SO, Munich PO, Zürich major Swedish orchestras. Ms. Larsson/ Tonhalle Orchestra, Vienna SO, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Netherlands PO, Malmö SO gave the world premiere of Bergen PO, Hong Kong PO, NHK SO (Tokyo). “Into Eternity” at the inauguration of Malmö Live 2015. In 2020 Martinsson’s Most recent additions to her substantial discography: a Haydn album with the Combattimento opera, commissioned by the Royal Consort Amsterdam, followed by a Berlioz recording respectively a Mahler programme with the Swedish Opera, will be premiered in Arnhem PO. Previous major recordings include Strauss’ “Vier letzte Lieder” under Douglas Boyd, Stockholm. Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 under David Zinman, the Mozart operas “Don Giovanni” under Daniel Harding, “Mitridate” under Adam Fischer and “Il sogno di Scipione” under Gottfried von der Goltz, Martinsson serves as professor of Händel‘s “Jephta” under David Stern, numerous Cantatas, Magnificat as well as the Christmas and composition at the Malmö Academy Easter Oratories by Bach under Ton Koopman respectively Sir John Eliot Gardiner. of Music. He is a Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music from which Lisa Larsson maintains close collaboration with the Swedish composer Rolf Martinsson, who has he recently received the prestigious dedicated several compositions to her. Her next CD release will be Martinsson’s “Orchestral Songs Christ Johnson Prize for his “Orchestral on Poems by Emily Dickinson” in collaboration with the Royal Stockholm PO together with Andrew Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson” Manze for BIS. – dedicated to and internationally performed by Lisa Larsson. www.lisalarsson.info www.rolfmartinsson.com Reviews Performances – by Lisa Larsson – Garden of Devotion ” (...) The brilliant star of the evening was soprano Lisa Larsson, who, with scenic security and absolute control of her voice, interpreted “Garden of Devotion”, Rolf Martinsson’s musical setting to poems by the Indian poet Tagore. And with the Tagore interpretations he once again shows his skill in letting the instruments contribute organically to the nuances of the words...When rising and falling strings 2014-09-25/26/27/28 World premiere follow the emotional changes – then the artistic balance is perfect (...) The work is composed for Lisa Musica Vitae / Fredrik Malmberg Larsson, and it tells a lot about their musical relationship. Without effort or mannerism she took on Växjö, Malmö, Lund, Vara, Sweden the most difficult passages with a light, yet rich sound. And her natural singer’s joy, in the midst of her professionalism, was wonderful (...) ” 2014-10-02 Helsingborg SO / Stefan Solyom Birgit Ahlberg-Hyse / Vestmanlands Läns Tidning Konserthuset, Helsingborg, Sweden “ (...) Martinsson’s attractive “Garden of Devotion” receives UK premiere. I found it really attractive. 2015-05-08/09 UK premiere Martinsson’s musical language is firmly tonal and melodic, the orchestration (for strings only) repeatedly Scottish CO / Olari Elts lush and welcoming, matching the soprano line perfectly as one complements the other (...) ” City Halls, Glasgow / Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, UK Simon Thompson / Seen and Heard International, Blog 2016-02-03/04/06 Stockholm premiere Norrköping SO / Michael Francis “ (...) The Scottish CO brought a lyrical depth to Martinsson’s vivid and animated score. Written in Linköping, Norrköping, Stockholm, Sweden collaboration with, and dedicated to soprano Lisa Larsson, the poignancy of the plight of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore’s lovelorn protagonist in his collections of poems entitled ”The Gardener”, was 2016-02-28/29 German premiere exquisitely explored by Larsson as she skilfully communicated the angst ridden bewilderment of a deep Staatskapelle Weimar / Stefan Solyom yet unrequited love. Her voice, though focused and clear, had an almost jazz tinged elasticity and a rich, Neue Weimarhalle, Germany radiant tone (...) ” 2016-03-18/19 Miranda Heggie / The Herald Swedish CO / Antonello Manacorda Konserthuset, Örebro, Sweden Work Note 2016-05-12 Uppsala CO / Paul Mägi The drive to set up this song cycle came from a collaboration with the Swedish soprano Lisa Konserthuset, Uppsala, Sweden Larsson, to whom the piece is dedicated. The artistic click between them, when they met in 2010, lead at first to the re-arranging of the earlier song cycle “Orchestral Songs on Poems by Emily 2016-09-15/16 Finnish premiere Dickinson” for mezzo-soprano. Martinsson: ‘Together we adapted the vocal part into the high CO of Lapland / John Storgårds version. Her dedicated collaboration gave me not only inspiration and self confidence, but also a lot Rovaniemi, Kemijärvi, Finland of understanding for the voice and singing in itself.’ 2016-09-24 Stuttgart CO / Michael Foremny The five songs in Martinsson’s “Garden of Devotion” form a short story about neglected love. The Mozartsaal, Liederhalle, Stuttgart, Germany composer used the texts in a different order than in Tagore’s book to achieve a dramatic scene. The five verses are fine examples of the elegant and refined expression of feelings. They are embedded in 2016-11-17 images of nature: birds, flowers, silent nights and stars. Martinsson says: ‘Tagore uses beautiful single Västerås Sinfonietta / Rumon Gamba words as inspiring and mind expanding metaphors which give me a universe of musical possibilities.’ Konserthuset, Västerås, Sweden In his music he creates an atmosphere of pent-up tension to colour the passionate emotions that lead a devoted woman to her friend in the garden of love. 2016-11-26/27 Dutch premiere Netherlands CO / Gordan Nikolic´ Writing for string orchestra, Martinsson takes full advantage of the effects that strings can Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands produce. The out-bursting motif of descending chords in the introduction of the first song, later on 2017-09-21/22 repeated, gives the thrill of passion in the dialogue. Soft and dark tone-colours describe the gloomy Jönköping Sinfonietta / Cathrine Winnes development in the second poem. The quivering strings, opening the last song, introduce the cynical Jönköping, Värnamo, Sweden conclusion to the love drama. For the vocal line Martinsson developed an embellished and subtle kind of singing that suites the courtly expression of the words. During 2018 Lisa Larsson will record 2018-06-18/19/20/21/22/23 Premiere recording the piece with the Netherlands CO/Gordan Nikolic´ at the Challenge Classics label. Netherlands CO/Gordan Nikolic´ Amsterdam, Netherlands Extract from a work note by Heinz Köhnen. CD recording, Challenge Classics label Poems by Rabindranath Tagore 1. Trust Love 2. Do Not Keep 4. My Heart 5. Lest I Should Know ”Trust love even if it brings sorrow. Do not keep to yourself the secret of My heart, the bird of the wilderness, Lest I should know you too easily, Do not close up your heart.” your heart, my friend! has found its sky in your eyes. you play with me. ”Ah no, my friend, your words are Say it to me, only to me, in secret. They are the cradle of the morning, You blind me with flashes of dark, I cannot understand them.” You who smile so gently, softly they are the kingdom of the stars.