Anna Clyne

"A virtuosity and musical ability unsurpassed by any other clarinetist – possibly no other instrumentalist," one critic of the New York Times euphorically raved about Martin Fröst. The exceptional Swedish clarinetist loves to push musical boundaries and try out new forms of performance. And so contemporary artists regularly entrust him with their creations. The British Anna Clyne composed Martin Fröst's »Weathered«, a now much-acclaimed work for clarinet and orchestra, which Fröst premiered in spring 2023 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Now he presents the composition to the Hamburg audience. Anna Clyne knew for whom she was writing: »Weathered« places the highest demands on its interpreter. So high that some critics have already speculated that only time will tell whether a second clarinetist will be able to play the work. Trills, glissandi, sharply articulated passages alternate with beautifully melodious lines. Each of the five movements has its own name – rusty bridge, broken heart, weathered castle, majestic forest and a warming planet. For the interpretation of the contrasting pieces, Fröst elicits fluttering turns from his instrument to shawm sounds. Cristian Măcelaru conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. The chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre National de France has a folk-song-like work by his compatriot, the Romanian Constantin Silvestri, in his luggage. The highlight of his conducting, however, is the Symphony No. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. In his last symphony, the Russian exile resurrects the great legacy of Romanticism with a powerful sound. And yet Rachmaninov speaks his own language and leads rapturous melodies through harmonically astonishing turns. Program: Silvestri: Three Pieces for String Orchestra Clyne: Weathered Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3