NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Martin Fröst / Cristian Măcelaru

»Frost exhibited a virtuosity and a musicianship unsurpassed by any clarinettist – perhaps any instrumentalist – in my memory,« is how a critic of The New York Times raved about Martin Fröst. This exceptional clarinettist from Sweden loves to push musical boundaries and try out new forms of performance. One reason why contemporary artists often entrust him to perform their newly written works. The British composer Anna Clyne wrote »Weathered« for Martin Fröst: a much-celebrated work for clarinet and orchestra, which Fröst premiered in the spring of 2023 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Now he performs it for a new audience in Hamburg. Anna Clyne knew exactly who she was writing for: »Weathered« places the highest demands on the individual performing it. So high, in fact, that some critics have speculated that only time would tell whether a second clarinettist would be able to play the work. Trills, glissandi and sharply articulated passages alternate with beautifully melodious moments. Each of the five movements has its own description – a rusted bridge, a broken heart, a wind-worn castle, a majestic forest, and a warming planet. Interpreting the contrasting sections, Fröst uses his instrument to elicit fluttering turns and even mimicking shawm sounds. Christian Măcelaru conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. He is also principal conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre National de France, and also brings a folksong-like work by his fellow countryman, the Romanian Constantin Silvestri, to add to the programme. The real highlight of his conducting though is the Symphony No. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninov. In his final symphony, the Russian exile resurrects the great legacy of Romanticism with powerful assurance. Yet Rachmaninov speaks his very own language, leading rapturous melodies through twists and turns that are harmonically astonishing.