CC BY
31
European Journal of Arts 4 (2021) - PRE_M|ER Section 2. Musical arts - ISSN 2310-5666 -
UDC780.643.1.071.2 (092) (71): 78: 03 DOI: 10.29013/EJA-21-4-96-102
V. I. PETRYK 1
1 Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, Kharkiv, Ukraine
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STYLE OF MARTIN FROST
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the presented research is to characterize the performing style of Martin Frost, to reveal his interpretative and artistic genius.
Methods: For this, the following was used:
- interpretative method, which is the basis for the study of the performing repertoire of M. Frost and identifying its specifics;
- genre-style method, which is aimed at revealing the individual genre and style parameters of works that were performed by the clarinettist;
- structural-functional method is used to reveal the unity of all elements of musical language and form, their dramatic functions in the analysed works.
Results: It is investigated that M. Frost created new concepts of understanding and performance of classical music and stimulated the development of clarinet repertoire. updated such an instrument as the basset clarinet.
It is considered how, thanks to Frost, a whole new layer of music emerged, which became the basis for the clarinet repertoire of the 21 st century.New standards of technical capabilities of the clarinet, addition are considered in the performance of plastic beginnings, choreography, lighting design, etc.
The Swedish clarinetist's rethinking of Mozart's classical concerto, which influenced the new generation of clarinet performers of the 21 st century, is analyzed.
Scientific novelty: in the article for the first time the interpretative and artistic ideas ofMartin Frost on the example of the performance of the works for the clarinet of the 18 th-21 st centuries have been analysed.
Practical significance: the research conducted allows deeper understanding of the principles of formation of the performing style of Martin Frost.
Received results are useful for students and professional clarinetists who wish to improve their understanding of the individual performing style, as well as learn from the experience of Martin Frost
Keywords: clarinet, artistic style of Martin Frost's, individual performance style.
For citation: V. I. Petryk. Individual Performance Style of Martin Frost // European Journal of Arts, 2021, №4. -C. 96-102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29013/EJA-21-4-96-102
Introduction. The phenomenon of individual performance style is actively studied and analysed. In particular, theoretical aspects are covered by such art critics as O. Vardanyan [1], Y. Nikolaevska [2] and O. Katrych [3]. Materials about the creative work of M. Frost are contained in separate Internet publications: Concert review [5], on the official website of the musician [6], annotations to albums [9; 10], interview [11]. But there is currently no thorough scientific research that would combine these materials, which provided the relevance of this study.
The analysis of works and recordings in which Martin Frost showed innovative ideas and interactions between the composer and the performer will help to create a foundation for understanding and identifying features that influence the evolution of musical thought on the example of clarinet music.
Discussion. Martin Frost is a Swedish clarinettist, conductor and classical artist of the Sony Corporation, who is called one of the best representatives of the modern clarinet. He was born in 1970, in a small town in northern Sweden. The future musician's parents were doctors, but
ISSN 2310-5666
they often played the violin and viola and even formed chamber orchestras in their region. M. Frost mentioned [11] that his father played the clarinet repertoire on the viola (this is how the boy first became acquainted with Brahms' music). He began playing music at the age of five, and his first instrument was the violin. Recordings of classical music, and not only the violin or viola repertoire, were often played in Frost's house. The young musician began learning to play the clarinet at the age of eight, after hearing a recording of Jack Brymer's performance of the second part of Mozart's Concerto for the clarinet. It is symbolic that, years later, in 2005, the recording of this very concert performed by M. Frost was recognized as a model one. At the age of 15, M. Frost entered the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he studied for six years. In addition to Swedish teachers, the musician recalls his lessons with the German clarinettist Hans Dinzer. And it is fate that the first concerto that M. Frost gave as a soloist, making his debut with the orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music was the same clarinet concerto by W. A. Mozart. Let us draw attention to the fact that on the horizon of the 21 st century for famous soloists-clarinettists there were new conditions and a view on the interpretation of the works performed by them. This is especially noticeable in the interpretations of works of the Classicist era, where the desire to accurately perform the musical text can turn the performance into too vapid and one that lacks culminating-dramatic development. Mozart's concerto for the clarinet and orchestra in A maj or was and remains one of the most performed works for the clarinet. Of course, the concerto has a huge number of interpretations, but its interpretation by M. Frost became a real revolution in the understanding of this work.
Let us outline some innovations in the musician's interpretation that shape the parameters of his performance style.
First, the concerto was written by W. A. Mozart for the basset clarinet (an instrument with an extended lower register, invented by Anton Stadler), and M. Frost revived the "fashion" for this instrument when performing this concerto. It is interesting that owing to the popularity of the performance of this work by M. Frost, the number of sales of basset clarinets has increased many times. Secondly, the performer seriously modernized the cadences, which in themselves were not very virtuoso. The clarinettist introduced a new material organically woven into the structure of the concerto, which is sustained in the style corresponding to the music of the
concerto. M. Frost also treated the author's text and its details very precisely and with love. Thus, at the end of the second movement, W. A. Mozart writes the last note in the score in the orchestra as a quarter, and in the clarinet part - as a half one. And if usually in this place clarinettists performed cut-off together with the orchestra, M. Frost adheres to the author's text in principle.
The performer's approach to the tempo of the work reveals the current trends in the performance of "classics". Frost decided to change the conservative interpretation of the concert tempo, for example, the first movement is usu-allyperformed at the tempo of J = 112-116 beats/min, in M. Frosts interpretation it reaches J = 126-132 beats/min. As for the second movement, here, on the contrary, one can see a slowdown of the tempo. These changes immediately affect the perception of music. The second movement has really become the centre of the work and has a huge dramatic effect, while the finale has acquired lightness and mobility. The first movement acquired the necessary thinking alla breve, while remaining in a quadruple metre. The conductor who worked with M. Frost also thought ofsome fragments ofthe first movement as of alla breve, so he conducted them "for two".
Martin Frost also used the permanent breathing where musical phrasing required it. He usually played with the chain breathing in places where the clarinet accompanied the orchestra. An example is the end of the exposition of the first movement. It can be noted that M. Frost became one of the first performers to use modern breathing techniques in those works in which the use of the permanent breathing was not typical before.
The performance of Mozart's clarinet concerto by M. Frost is as easy, elegant and light as possible. Of course, Martin Frost's perfect technique and ease of play deserve special attention. His impeccable attack ofsound[8], transitions between registers, changes of timbre colours and a whole arsenal[4] of strokes motivates to analyse in detail the performing style of the musician. He became the type of new generation of clarinettists who freely use modern methods of playing and boldly violate the classical laws of performance in search of new musical boundaries.
The clarinettist also did an atypical thing with his image of the artist directly on stage. Prior to that, when performing such concertos for a long time it was customary to play it almost without any body movements. M. Frost breaks this stereotype, as if "merging" the body with the instrument, so that the listener can observe the movements of the musician, which not only, in a certain sense,
V. I. PETRYK INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STYLE OF MARTIN FROST
PREMIER
Publishing
ISSN 2310-5666
complement the perception of music, but also become an important part of communication between the soloist, conductor and musicians of the orchestra. Teixeira's study called Motion Analysis ofClarinet Performers [7] presents a method of segmentation and analysis of movement patterns during musical performances. Physical movements were separated during clarinet performance and analysed on the basis ofgestures, in the process of comparing different musicians, musical passages and experimental conditions. Gesture aspects of representations are related to the structure of music and its expressive content. The results allow one to apply these principles in the current work, when studying and analysing the movements of M. Frost, for a better understanding of his performance style.
In his interviews, the clarinettist talked about how he and the teacher could work on one phrase from a concerto for 2-3 hours, sometimes one note for an hour. Owing to this work, he discovered completely unexplored possibilities and limits of his instrument and the music he performed. The performer, relatively speaking, managed to capture the spirit and essence of Mozart's style. In the same interview [11] he pointed out that in order to understand this concerto, one must study the scores of Mozart's symphonies, especially the last ten. This will reveal the understanding of the form and style of one ofthe composer's latest works, because the concerto for the clarinet was written almost simultaneously with the requiem. That is why we consider a new feeling of the classics one of the important components of Martin Frost's interpretative genius.
Outlining the performance of other works, no less fateful for the clarinet repertoire, we should note that M. Frost was the first to combine clarinet performance with choreography, revealing and adding new facets of performance interpretation. In the 1970s, there were several composers who tried to combine dance with playing a musical instrument. Boulez and Stockhausen made similar attempts, but the dance element was quite primitive. Based on the experience of pioneers, in 2003 a work called by Anders Hillborg "Peacock Tales" was created in close collaboration with Martin Frost. Anders Hillborg, one of Sweden's leading composers, is a rare artist whose music resonates in many different countries and cultures. In the early stages of his creative work, the composer felt an interest in electronic music, but com-
munication with the music of D. Ligeti quickly led to a fascination with counterpoint and orchestral technique of the composition.
A. Hillborg's "Peacock tales" is a product of the union of the composer and the prominent clarinettist Martin Frost. This work is a kind of theatrical action and a concerto for the clarinet at the same time. Martin Frost notes that A. Hillborg combines a sense of humour and absurdity in his creative work. In this concerto, the performer must not only play the clarinet, but also perform certain choreographic movements that require skill. "In the 1970 s, there were several composers who tried to combine dance with playing an instrument. Boulez and Stockhausen tried to do the same, but the dance was quite primitive. I thought it would be possible to create a concerto that would include real choreography" - said Martin Frost in an interview with BBC News [7]. Thus, in 1998 a unique work for the clarinet with the orchestra "Peacock Tales" appeared. This concerto also has a solo clarinet version, which is a concise nine-minute version of the concerto and a special score with light effects. The full version of the concerto, which lasts 30 minutes, includes a large symphony orchestra. The music of the concert begins with a soft solo clarinet, gradually the sound of strings appears and suddenly the clarinet is undermined by screams and wild glissando, at this time the soloist wears a mask and makes some complex choreographic movements. M. Frost spent 8 hours a day working on the choreographic component of the work.
In addition to A. Hillborg, many composers dedicated works to M. Frost (more precisely, in collaboration with him they composed their works): K. Penderetsky, Kalevi Aho, Rolf Martinson, Bent Sorensen, V. Boryso-va-Ollas, Karyna Renquist and Sven Sandstrom. This indicates such an important point in the characterization of the performer as his influence on the composer's creative work. The concerto of K. Aho deserves special attention; it can be called a real breakthrough in the music of the 21 st century, because it improved the techniques and the principle of thinking while playing the clarinet1.
The music of the concerto immerses the listener in a whole ecosystem of images, consonances, harmonies, timbres and colours. The composer used quite exotic for this genre types of instruments in the score of the work.
1 In the concerto K. Aho uses almost all modern methods of playing the clarinet. This list includes glissando, double staccato, permanent breathing, special attention should be paid to multiphonics - consonances, which under certain conditions can be obtained on the clarinet and other wind instruments.
PREMIER
Publishing
ISSN 2310-5666
Among them - there is a piccolo flute, English horn, clarinet-piccolo, bass clarinet, double bassoon, euphonium and harp, a large number of different percussion: box, bass drum, cymbals, large gong, chau gong, triangle, vibraphone, and xylophone.
The clarinet concerto with the orchestra by Kalevi Aho consists of five movements performed attacca. Part I, (Tempestoso) is very dramatic and powerful, the drama unfolds from the very first measure. The solo part of the clarinet develops in descending virtuoso passages that run through the entire register of the instrument, while with dry heavy tutti chords the orchestra makes the clarinet constantly "suffocate" from the pressure. The tension continues until the first ascending passage of the clarinet (by glissando technique from low to the highest register). The peak of the passage, the highest note, which M. Frost filled with perfect timbre, is intercepted by violins, developing a new image, which in its culmination gives space to the tutti orchestra. After the culmination of the orchestra there comes the presentation of the pastoral side part. The texture brightens, the strings play with a mute. Martin Frost changes the timbre to a more pastoral one and calmly tells his "story". Then he enters into a dialogue with the flute, there is an exchange of "thoughts" and mood, and it is the flute that asks questions, and the clarinet answers. The music of the side part has the image of a fantastic, distant world. Gradually, the musical movement becomes calmer and moves smoothly to the second section - the clarinet cadence, in which the soloist demonstrated all his skills and ideas. This virtuoso solo cadence is dominated by mysterious tremolo of the clarinet. The cadence begins with a tremolo in the lower register. The tremolo interval expands gradually, in small seconds. The lower register of the clarinet gives the sound a sense of secrecy. The music is full of sudden ups, jumps, and downs, but none of these elements violates the integrity of the image. Each virtuoso passage and technique does not go beyond the general concept of the image and is not intended simply to demonstrate the virtuosity of the soloist, as it can sometimes be seen in classical and romantic concertos. In general, the cadence can be divided into a calm timbre and colour section and passionate, crazy section, contrasting with the previous image.
The cadence leads to the centre and the culmination of the concerto - "Vivace, con anima", which is the most virtuoso part for both the orchestra and the soloist. Here the metre changes almost every measure, which presents serious difficulties for the conductor, soloist and orchestra. In the metre of 15/16 the themes of different groups of the orchestra are superimposed on each other and a polyphonic sound is built like a fugue, but without the appropriate strict structure. This theme alternates with a mockingly ironic clarinet melody, then a "fugue" reappears, in which the sound of the instrument becomes more and more capricious, which is conveyed through the technique of glissando. Gradually in the clarinet part the lower register sounds more and more often.
The fourth movement of the concerto begins with a magnificent thunder of brass (there is an allusion to the symphonic scores of O. Scriabin). As in the first movement, the stormy^ of the brass instruments flows into a side part. Only now it becomes even more transparent and weightless, like a "distant light" that becomes even more inaccessible. With each measure the melody of the clarinet sounds softer and thinner. The music reproduces a state of melancholy, lyricism.
The epilogue of the concerto is very slow. The atmosphere of the last movement is unreal and mysterious, the composer completely focused on the theme of "distant light". The quarter-tone clarinet technique and incredibly complex broken multiphonics are also used here - it is the first time they appear in a clarinet concerto with an orchestra, revealing the potential of the instrument in a new way1.
M. Frost, working closely with the composer, told him about modern techniques of playing the clarinet. "The clarinet,- says M. Frost,- is a really flexible instrument, with which you can implement many ideas. It really has no limits" [12].
The first album of M. Frost from Sony Classical -"Roots" (meaning origin) deserves special attention. It reflects the full spectrum of the clarinettist's artistry as a musician and as a narrator. "Roots" includes solo pieces for the clarinet, pieces for the clarinet and orchestra, as well as arranged material for the clarinet, orchestra and choir, including premiere recordings of works ordered from Hans Eku and Anders Hillborg.
1 The first noted multiphonics in the 20 th century was recorded in 1961. In all works, the multiphonics was previously used as an effect; however, in the concerto by K. Aho the multiphonic forms a full-fledged harmonious fabric, a melody. Aho did not pay attention to such expressive possibilities of this technique precisely owing to the outstanding talent of M. Frost, who really expands the boundaries of music and the art of performance on the clarinet in particular.
V. I. PETRYK INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE STYLE OF MARTIN FROST
ISSN 2310-5666
The range of music in the album is as wide as possible - from the oldest European music to the latest compositions. The performer himself explained that he was inspired by the opportunity to draw a line from the early "roots" of music - music inspired by dance and folklore, music created for sacred rituals of worship and music that had a purely entertaining purpose. The performer wanted to see how, starting from this "root", we can open new musical doors to the future. Thus, this "journey" begins with the Middle Ages and the interpretation of the Gregorian chant and the work of Hildegard of Bingen. The works of G. Telemann, Krussel, R. Schumann, J. Brahms, B. Bartok and A. Piazzolla, which are included in the album, were all inspired by dance and folk art. Interestingly, all the plays, according to the musician, are performed attacca. Such an interesting creative course makes it possible to trace the evolution and development of musical styles, epochs and clarinet art. M. Frost has combined a number of works that are not only bright representatives of the clarinet repertoire, but also help to trace the evolution and stylistic development of music in this album.
Conclusions. Marking the main achievements of M. Frost, we should note that the Swedish clarinettist's rethinking of classical repertoire has influenced a new generation ofclarinet performers of the 21 st century, he really created new concepts of understanding and performing classical music and updated such an instrument as the basset clarinet. The performer also stimulated the development of the clarinet repertoire. Composers themselves often invited him to take part in writing new works. Thus a whole new layer of music arose, which became the basis for the clarinet repertoire of the 21 st century.
Based on the analysis of M. Frost's interpretations, we shall denote the parameters of his performance style.
Among the most important there are the highly artistic embodiment of the idea of the performed work, the creation of own concept of its reproduction and the unique manner of performance, the interpretation of the work. To do this, the musician uses the following arsenal of performing means.
Sound and sounding of the instrument. Thus, M. Frost is characterized by a kind of sound attack, the amplitude
of movements of the instrument, which is maximum, and reaches the physical limits. The performer tends to contrast in performance (often these contrasts are very sharp, both in tempo and in dynamics, movements, etc.).
Virtuosity, which we see in several positions: the feeling of the main (supporting) tones of the melody, from which the passage is built, making the passage itself incredibly easy; textured layers of the work, which is expressed in the polyphonic and arch-tectonic dimensions of performance; skill of the permanent breathing, the introduction of a kind of "impulses" ofbreathing during a sound attack, which can be likened to sf; powerful improvement of complex clarinet techniques, such as multiphonics, voice playing, double staccato, etc.
Theatrical performance. The facial expressions and plasticity of the musician always organically coincide with the mood, the figurative system of the performed work. In particular, the performance off at some culminating moments is associated with the movement of the instrument from bottom to top. He destroyed the traditional perception of a static musician, found a new level of bodily and, accordingly, performing freedom.
The influence of composer's thinking on performance, which is expressed in the addition of sounds, overtones, enrichment of phrases, musical material with new intonation ideas, the play of own cadences in concertos, ornamentation. Even, given the recent work of the clarinettist as a conductor, one can see the interaction of the conductor-composer-performer thinking.
As a result, we can say that Martin Frost's interpretative genius is not just a metaphor, but a real fact. The constant search for something new, the propensity to experiment, the constant striving to go beyond traditional performance capabilities, norms, traditions, the avoidance of stereotypes - all of it characterizes the personality of Martin Frost. There are no limits for this musician, he boldly and successfully combines in his performances not only distant genres, but also mixes different types of art. M. Frost set new standards for the technical capabilities of the clarinet, while adding a plastic beginning, choreography, light design and more. No wonder The Times wrote: "If you haven't heard M. Frost, you haven't heard the clarinet".
References
1. Vardanjan O. Ob interpretacionnom potenciale ponjatija "individual'nyj muzykal'nyj stil'" (On the interpretive potential of the concept "individual musical style"). Nauk. visn. nac. muz. akad. Ukrayni im. P. I. Chajkovs'kogo. - Kiyv, - Vol. 95. 2011. - P. 163-171.
- ISSN 2310-5666 -
2. Nikolaevskaya Yu. V. Homo interpretatus v muzychnomu mystectvi XX - pochatku XXI stolit' (Homo Interpre-tatus in the musical art of the XX - early XXI centuries). HNUM imeni I. P. Kotljarevs'kogo. - Kharkiv: Fakt, 2020. - 576 p. (in Ukrainian).
3. Katrych O. Styl' muzykanta-vykonavcja (teoretychni ta estetychni aspekty): Doslidzhennja (Musician-performer style: theoretical and aesthetic aspects). - Kyi'v, 2000. - 90 p. (in Ukrainian).
4. Fedotov A. O vyrazitel'nyh sredstvah klarnetista v rabote nad muzykal'nym obrazom. (On the expressive means of the clarinetist in the work on the musical image). Metodika obuchenija igre na duhovyh instrumentah: sb. statej. - Moskva: Muzyka, 1976. - P. 86-109.
5. Concert review: Martin Frost and Ronald Pontinen: concert. URL: https://www.cassgb.org/review/57/Con-cert-Review-Martin-Frst-and-Ronald-Pntinen/ (in English).
6. Martin Frost's official website. URL: https://www.martinfrost.se/ (in English).
7. Teixeira E. Motion Analysis of Clarinet Performers, 2014. - 2 p. (in English).
8. Chatziioannou V. Inverse Modelling of Clarinet Perfomance, 2019. - 5 p.
9. Review: Vivaldi Martin Frost (clarinet): CD URL: https://www.cassgb.org/review/60/Vivaldi-Martin-Frst-clarinet/ (in English).
10. Reviews: Dances to a Black Pipe Martin Frost, Richard Tognetti. URL: http://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/7525
11. Interview: Martin Frost on the soul of the clarinet. URL: https://bachtrack.com/es_ES/interview-martin-frost-clarinet-bamberger-symphoniker-retrotopia-mozart-may-2018
12. Interview: John Henken Martin Frost. URL: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/1296/clarinet-concerto
Information about the author
Vladyslav Ihorovych Petryk, post-graduate student Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University ofArts, Kharkiv,
Ukraine
Address: 61007, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Biblyka Str. 7, 13
E-mail: petryk.vladyslav@gmail.com; Tel.: +38 (095) 511-98-26
ORCID: 0000-0001-6047-3203
ПЕТРИК В. I. 1
1 Харшвський нащональний утверситет мистецтв iMeHi I. П.Котляревського, Харшв, Украша
1НДИВ1ДУАЛЬНИЙ СТИЛЬ ВИКОНАННЯ MARTIN FROST
Анотаця
Мета: Мета представленого досмдження - охарактеризувати виконавську манеру Мартша Фроста, розкрити його штерпретацшний та художнш генш
Методи: Для цього було використано наступне:
- штерпретацшний метод, що е основою для вивчення виконавського репертуару М.Фроста та виявлення його специфiки;
- жанрово-стильовий метод, який спрямований на виявлення окремих жанрово-стильових параметрiв творiв, як виконував кларнетист;
- структурно-функцюнальний метод використовуеться для виявлення едноси вах елеменив музично'1 мови та форми, 1х драматурпчних функцш у аналiзованих творах.
Результати: Досмджено, що М.Фрост створив новi концепцп' розумiння та виконання класично'1 музики та стимулював розвиток кларнетного репертуару. оновлено такий iнструмент, як бас-кларнет.
ПЕТРИК В. I. 1НДИВ1ДУАЛЬНИЙ СТИЛЬ ВИКОНАННЯ MARTIN FROST
European Journal of Arts 4 (2021) - PREMJER Section 2. Musical arts - ISSN 2310-5666 -
Розглядаеться, як завдяки Фросту виник цглий новий музичний пласт, що став основою для кларнетного репертуару 21-го сголггтя. Нов1 стандарти техшчних можливостей кларнета, доповнення враховуються у виконанш пластичних початюв, хореограф1я, свиловий дизайн тощо.
Проанал1зовано переосмислення шведським кларнетистом класичного концерту Моцарта, що вплинуло на нове поколшня кларнетисив ХХ1 стол1ття.
Наукова новизна: у статт вперше проанал1зовано штерпретацшно-художш 1де( Мартша Фроста на приклад1 виконання твор1в для кларнета XVIII-XXI ст.
Практичне значення: проведене досл1дження дозволяе глибше зрозумгти принципи формування виконавського стилю Мартша Фроста.
Отримаш результати будуть корисними для студенпв та професшних кларнетиспв, як1 бажають покращити свое розумшня шдив^уального виконавського стилю, а також повчитися на досвщ Мартша Фроста
Ключовi слова: кларнет, художнш стиль Мартша Фроста, шдив^уальний стиль виконання.
1нформаця про автора
Петрик Владислав 1горович, астрант Харк1вського нацюнального ушверситету мистецтв 1мен1 I. П. Котля-
ревського, Харк1в, Украина
Адреса: 61007, Харкав, Украша, вул. Б1бл1ка, 7, 13,
E-mail: petryk.vladyslav@gmail.com; Тел.: +38 (095) 511-98-26
ORCID: 0000-0001-6047-3203
