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Swedish Trombone Wilderness (2014) Lars Karlin. Genuin 15337 - 62 minutes

By Kilpatrick – American Record Guide

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“Swedish Trombonist Lars Karlin, winner of the 2011 German Music Competition, opens his

terrific all-Swedish album with Anders Hillborg´s very tricky “Hautposaune” (1990) for

trombone and electronic tape. Then Karlin switches gears completely, playing Lars-Erik

Larsson´s Concertino (1955) for trombone and strings. It is good to hear him play I with so

much hear, thoughtfulness, and freedom of tempo. Trombonists will note, and probably enjoy,

his revision of the end of the cadenza, where he ascends to high notes rather than descend to

low notes. II is slow and lyrical, III, very fast.

Karlin is a member of Trombone Unit Hannover, a superb octet whose recent album was a

knockout. They are heard in the quirky “Kinky Creatures” (1998), by Swedish trombone

virtuoso Christian Lindberg, and in Karlin´s arrangement of three Swedish songs.

All of the solo works are absorbing and call attention to Karlin´s robust tone, steely

strength, amazing technical skill, and remarkable ability to sing and play simultaneously.

Hugo Alfvén´s “Vallflickans Dans” (Shepherd Girl´s Dance) is so fast, and played so

cleanly, that my jaw hung open as I listened. But then I remembered that Christian Lindberg,

the world´s leading trombonist from the 1980s into the 21st Century, did the same thing many

years ago on his Romantic Trombone album (BIS). Lindberg also recorded Roland Pöntinen´s

whimsical, contemplative “Camera” (1981) on his Burlesque Trombone album. Karlin ends

this album with is, and I must say that I rather would listen to his account than Lindberg´s.

Wonderful recording.”

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Review – Recording of the Month - Swedish Trombone Wilderness

MusicWeb International - Göran Forsling

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Swedish trombonist Lars Karlin has for some years now been active in Germany as a

freelance musician, composer, and arranger. For his debut solo disc, he has chosen an all-

Swedish program. It's mainly contemporary or near-contemporary music but also includes

a genuine modern classic — from a Swedish perspective that is — and some arrangements of

his own brand of popular Swedish music. Much of this is virtuoso stuff or technically

challenging, and having heard Karlin live in various constellations I was well aware of his

credentials as a player before even opening the jewel case. I had no reason to be disappointed

– on the contrary, we hear marvelously assured playing throughout and there are true musical

jewels hidden away on this disc.

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The opening piece, Hautposaune for Trombone and Tape was

written with Christian Lindberg in mind. Lindberg, the world-renowned

Swedish trombonist is also represented here by

three works. Hautposaune is a short piece, rhythmically vital

with a singable middle section. The combination of pre-recorded sounds and live solo playing

is fascinating. The virtuoso aspect is breathtaking.

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The modern classic I mentioned is Lars-Erik Larsson’s Concertino for trombone and strings.

Larsson ought to be fairly well-known internationally, primarily for his Pastoral Suite and the

lyrical suite Förklädd gud (God in Disguise). In the mid-1950s he wrote twelve concertinos

for solo instruments and strings. The string parts were relatively simple and not

insurmountable for amateur musicians, while the solo part is a vehicle for professional

virtuosos. Larsson’s idiom is also accessible for the general public, which all those years ago

ensured that people flocked to hear this music played by their local orchestra. With a soloist

like Lars Karlin this trombone concertino can’t avoid making its mark. His playing of the

pompous prelude is powerful. This is matched by his wonderful legato in the aria and the

spirited reading of the joyous finale, which dances – elegantly but powerfully. There is more

than a few drops of Shostakovich here.

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Christian Lindberg contributes with three pieces. Joe Jack Binglebandit is a showpiece for

Lindberg’s onetime student, colleague and friend Jonas Bylund, today professor in Hanover.

He was also an important inspiration for Lars Karlin who studied with him in Hanover. This

piece, says Lindberg, is “also a portrait of the wonderful, boisterous little rascal Jonas

Bylund”. Here he explores the instrument’s possibilities in many different ways: growls, big

leaps and glissandos. The latter something that Lars Karlin fell in love with very early, at age

twelve, when he discovered the instrument. The title Kinky Creatures for 4 trombones makes

one wonder whether trombonists are kinkier than other creatures but they definitely are able

to produce stranger noises than most other instrumentalists. Four of them here give an

impression of Bronze Age horns but there are roots in both late Renaissance polyphony and

jazz. Land of the Rising Sun, which is a world premiere recording, may refer to Japan or

Anatolia – the peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean (today’s Turkey) – or

Biafra in south-east Nigeria - it was the title of their National Anthem. It was written for

trombone and the occasional foot-stamp. There's a slow beautiful opening, a middle section

with fast chit-chat and some excursions down in the lowest register. Then there is a beautiful

finale, played with exquisite legato.

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The other world premiere recording is Benjamin Staern’s Humorous Monologue, written for

Lars Karlin as part of an opera, premiered in 2014. This reminds me that some years ago he

did a whole concert with songs and opera arias from Jussi Björling’s repertoire, arranged for

trombone and piano. His trombone really sang. Staern’s monologue is great fun and I imagine

that it’s even more fun to see as well.

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Folke Rabe was a pioneer for improvisation and graphic notation in contemporary art music.

He was himself a trombonist and wrote Basta in 1982 for Christian Lindberg who was a

student at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Here Rabe introduced chords that are

produced when the player sings and plays at the same time. This is a technique that is

employed elsewhere on this CD as well. Asked whether there is a story or programme behind

the music Rabe says: Not exactly, but he could imagine the player as a kind of messenger

rushing in, delivers his message and then – BASTA! – rushes away. Basta in Italian means

Enough! A feeling of stress and haste is notable, especially towards the end when the player

so to speak stumbles over the phrases.

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Four arrangements by Lars Karlin are also included. The first is Vallflickans dans (Dance of

the Shepherd Girl) from the ballet Bergakungen (The Mountain King). In the original it is a

tour de force for the strings. It serves as a favourite encore for Swedish orchestras on tour to

show off the virtuosity of the string section. Played on trombone, a much slower and heavier

instrument, at the original speed is a feat that seems almost unbelievable. Karlin has both the

agility and the clean intonation to make it all sound effortless.

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The three other pieces are less of virtuoso show-offs than beautiful melodies in tasteful

arrangements. All three have connections with the province of Dalecarlia, Karlin's home

territory. Koppången is a song inspired by the wilderness in the northern part of the province -

hence I suppose the title of the CD. It was composed by one of the foremost folk fiddlers in

the region, Per-Erik Moreaus. Håkan Norlén was not from Dalecarlia but had many

connections with the province. Visa vid midsommartid is a setting of a poem that was also

inspired by the Dalecarlian wilderness. Gammal fäbodpsalm is a traditional folk melody that

has become immensely popular in the organ setting by Oskar Lindberg. He was born in

Dalecarlia, even though he spent most of his adult life as an organist and composer in

Stockholm. These arrangements for trombone ensemble are true declarations of love from

Karlin to his home district.

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Well-known pianist Roland Pöntinen was only 18 when he penned Camera, a lyrical

reflection with some swing feeling.

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Hats off to all involved in this enormously enjoyable production and most of all for Lars

Karlin’s brilliant musicianship and virtuosity. A must for all trombone enthusiasts and all

lovers of entertaining and thrilling music off the beaten track.”

Living on the Edge

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