VIDEO
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
Trombone unit Hannover.
Trombones: Frederic Belli, Mateusz Duwlecki, Karol Gajda, Lars Karlin, Angelos Kritikos, Tomer
Maschwkowski, Tobias Schiessler, Mateusz Sczendzina, Michael Zühl & Yuval Wolfson.
Percussion: Martin Hennecke, Dominik Minsch & Johannes Walter.
Genuin Classics 1781 (Naxos of America, 1810 Columbia Ave. , Ste.28, Franklin, TN 37064, USA;
Georg Friedrich Händel / Lars Karlin: Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351.
Sergei Porkofiev / Lars Karlin: Suite from the Ballet ”Romeo and Juliet” op.64.
Modest Mussorgsky / Lars Karlin: Pictures at an Exhibition.
”Living on the edge is the second album by this German ensemble released on the Genuin label.
The outer limits of the trombone are out to test here with arrangements of three masterpiece
works. As suggested by the title, the musical and technical demands are very close to the edge of
what is possible for the instrument. Each work was arranged for the Trombone Unit Hannover by
Lars Karlin and each is very close to the original with little material omitted. One might wonder how
these pieces could have been written for anything else other then eight trombone players. This CD
also marks the ten-year anniversary for Trombone Unit Hannover. Karlin states that this ensemble
has learned how to adapt quickly to his ideas and style of writing.
The Händel Music for the Royal Fireworks is a display of true regal brilliance. A high level of
clarity is executed throughout with a lightness that is not usually associated with this type of
ensemble. Several passages of multiple tonguing are passed back and forth seamlessly and then
answered with a sensitive ornamented theme. It is admirable that this piece of early orchestral
music can be represented so authentically with this instrumentation. Listeners will appreciate
characteristics from polar ends of the spectrum on the suite from Romeo and Juliet.
”Dances of the Knights” can be summed up by sheer power of great magnitude, while the ”Young
Juliet” resembles an Italian caccia. The latter arrangement makes creative use of counterpoint.
”Juliet´s Funeral” features incredibly loud dissonant clusters creating an ominous effect. The
ensemble should be applauded for keeping intact an impressive ensemble sound (which is also
balanced) at such high volumes. ”The Promenade” from Pictures at an Exhibition is arranged in the
original key as played by the trumpets resulting in stratospheric trombone playing. The use of
mutes in the second ”Promenade” creates an unexpected color not yet heard. ”The Old Castle” is
one the more extensive movements and provides imagery of mystique. The famous solo on
”Bydlo” is noble as expected and is performed seamlessly on both statements. Once again,
amazing power is on display in the striking sonorities written in ”Catacombs”, reminding the listener
of such moments earlier in the disc in the Prokofiev. The driving force behind ”Baba-Yaga” is
certainly aided by the percussion in this arrangement. However, equally impressive to this
aggressive nature is the ethereal effects written throughout in what seems like unconventional
writing, but is actually masterfully arranged and executed by the performers. There is no better way
to wrap up a disc than the warmth and beauty of sound on ”The Great Gate of Kiev”. The
Trombone Unit Hannover definitely delivers what the listener expects to hear on Mussorgsky´s
monumental finale.
Living on the Edge is an album representing a model trombone ensemble sound with virtuosic
flurries never before thought possible on the instrument. A tremendous job well done by the
performers and arranger Lars Karlin.”
- Nathan Dishman. Iowa State University
Trombone unit Hannover.
Trombones: Frederic Belli, Mateusz Duwlecki, Karol Gajda, Lars Karlin, Angelos Kritikos, Tomer
Maschwkowski, Tobias Schiessler, Mateusz Sczendzina, Michael Zühl & Yuval Wolfson.
Percussion: Martin Hennecke, Dominik Minsch & Johannes Walter.
Genuin Classics 1781 (Naxos of America, 1810 Columbia Ave. , Ste.28, Franklin, TN 37064, USA;
Georg Friedrich Händel / Lars Karlin: Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351.
Sergei Porkofiev / Lars Karlin: Suite from the Ballet ”Romeo and Juliet” op.64.
Modest Mussorgsky / Lars Karlin: Pictures at an Exhibition.
”Living on the edge is the second album by this German ensemble released on the Genuin label.
The outer limits of the trombone are out to test here with arrangements of three masterpiece
works. As suggested by the title, the musical and technical demands are very close to the edge of
what is possible for the instrument. Each work was arranged for the Trombone Unit Hannover by
Lars Karlin and each is very close to the original with little material omitted. One might wonder how
these pieces could have been written for anything else other then eight trombone players. This CD
also marks the ten-year anniversary for Trombone Unit Hannover. Karlin states that this ensemble
has learned how to adapt quickly to his ideas and style of writing.
The Händel Music for the Royal Fireworks is a display of true regal brilliance. A high level of
clarity is executed throughout with a lightness that is not usually associated with this type of
ensemble. Several passages of multiple tonguing are passed back and forth seamlessly and then
answered with a sensitive ornamented theme. It is admirable that this piece of early orchestral
music can be represented so authentically with this instrumentation. Listeners will appreciate
characteristics from polar ends of the spectrum on the suite from Romeo and Juliet.
”Dances of the Knights” can be summed up by sheer power of great magnitude, while the ”Young
Juliet” resembles an Italian caccia. The latter arrangement makes creative use of counterpoint.
”Juliet´s Funeral” features incredibly loud dissonant clusters creating an ominous effect. The
ensemble should be applauded for keeping intact an impressive ensemble sound (which is also
balanced) at such high volumes. ”The Promenade” from Pictures at an Exhibition is arranged in the
original key as played by the trumpets resulting in stratospheric trombone playing. The use of
mutes in the second ”Promenade” creates an unexpected color not yet heard. ”The Old Castle” is
one the more extensive movements and provides imagery of mystique. The famous solo on
”Bydlo” is noble as expected and is performed seamlessly on both statements. Once again,
amazing power is on display in the striking sonorities written in ”Catacombs”, reminding the listener
of such moments earlier in the disc in the Prokofiev. The driving force behind ”Baba-Yaga” is
certainly aided by the percussion in this arrangement. However, equally impressive to this
aggressive nature is the ethereal effects written throughout in what seems like unconventional
writing, but is actually masterfully arranged and executed by the performers. There is no better way
to wrap up a disc than the warmth and beauty of sound on ”The Great Gate of Kiev”. The
Trombone Unit Hannover definitely delivers what the listener expects to hear on Mussorgsky´s
monumental finale.
Living on the Edge is an album representing a model trombone ensemble sound with virtuosic
flurries never before thought possible on the instrument. A tremendous job well done by the
performers and arranger Lars Karlin.”
- Nathan Dishman. Iowa State University
INSTRUMENTS
INSTRUMENTS
LARS KARLIN
Trombonist & Arranger
BIO
Lars Karlin is a Swedish trombonist and arranger/composer living in Berlin,
Germany. He started trombone studies at the age of twelve under Hans-Göran
”Bullas” Olsson at the Music School in Borlänge, Sweden. Further studies were
made at the Conservatory of Music in Falun, The Royal College of Music in
Stockholm under Sven-Erik Eriksson, The Hochschule für Musik und Theater
in Hannover under Jonas Bylund and at the University for Music and Arts in
Berlin under Andreas Klein.
Lars also studied private courses in performance Mastery under Peak
Performance Psychologist Ph.D. Don Greene in Los Angeles.
Lars is a Prizewinner of numerous National and International Music
Competitions including: The Lieksa International Trombone Competition in
2008, The Aeolus International Competition for Winds in 2010 & double 1st
Prizewinner (as soloist and member of an Ensemble) of the Deutsche
Musikwettbewerb in 2011.
Since January 2015 Lars is Solotrombonist of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin
and became a Yamaha Artist in January of 2018.
Besides being a Solo Trombone Player with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin,
Lars has performed with orchestras such as the Norwegian Philharmonic
Orchestra, The Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra, the Aarhus Symphony
Orchestra Denmark, The Bamberger Symphoniker, Staatsoper Hannover,
Deutsche Oper Berlin, Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin, the Bavarian
Radio Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, the Berlin Philharmonic
& the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Lars has performed as a soloist with orchestras/ensembles such as
Dalasinfoniettan, Polish National Chamber Orchestra, Arcata Stuttgart,
Philharmoniches Orchester Altenburg-Gera, Orchester des Nordharzer
Städtebundtheaters, Rundfunkorchester Berlin & the Stockholm Chamber
Brass.
Lars has given various Guest Masterclasses at the Hannover Academy of Music
in Germany, the Aurora Chamber Music Festival in Sweden, Trossingen
Academy of Music in Germany, Trakai Fanfare Week in Lithuania, Ljubljana
Conservatory of Music in Slovenia, Numskull Brass festival in Spain & the
Trombonanza Festival in Argentina.
Lars released his first Solo Album "A Swedish Trombone Wilderness" on the
label of Genuin in the Spring 2014. The Album included two first-time-on-CD
recorded pieces. Lars arrangement of ”Three Swedish Songs” (Koppången by
Per-Erik Moreaus, Visa i Midsommartid by Håkan Norlén & Gammal
Fäbodpsalm by Oskar Lindberg) performed and recorded by the Trombone Unit
Hannover & Lars Karlin got perhaps the most attention and has been played
numerous times at concerts and on Swedish radio.
In 2007, Lars was one of the founding members of the Trombone Unit
Hannover and he also written much of their existing repertoire. Their latest CD
"Living on the Edge" by the Trombone Unit Hannover was recorded
exclusively with arrangements by Lars Karlin.
Lars also in 2018 joined forces with Basstrombonist Tomer Maschwkowski &
Pianist Ohad Ben-Ari in the newly formed Show ”Sliding thru the opera”.