Three Concertos, for…
Clarinet for Martin Fröst (premièred 2006)
Trombone for Jörgen von Rijen (premièred 2012)
Two Bassoons for Bram van Sambeek (premièred 2019)
An artist must have something to say with their works, to express how they experience time and the society where they are living. My compositions are never totally abstract; they are more like a conversation, one person to another. Of course, a great inspiration is often also the outstanding musicians for whom I am writing a piece. In my concertos I have also tried to find the ‘soul’ of the solo instrument.
Before beginning a new piece, I normally improvise with piano or violin until I find a good starting point. Many times, my pieces begin with a melodic motif, but also a chordal combination or a rhythmic figure can work as a good impetus. I never plan the form of the piece beforehand; my pieces grow organically from those initial ideas.
Collaboration is very important. Before starting a new concerto, I want first to meet the soloist, discuss with them and hear their instrument and about its possibilities. I want to write a new concertante piece so that it corresponds to the personality of the soloist. Before starting the Clarinet Concerto, Martin Fröst told me about the clarinet and gave me some ideas, which I used in the work. I travelled to Amsterdam to meet Jörgen van Rijen before working on the Trombone Concerto. Bram van Sambeek I had met already several times before writing the Double Bassoon Concert, He had previously performed almost my entire repertoire for bassoon. After finishing the piece, and after the soloist has studied it, I am happy to make any necessary changes.
Both working on a commission and with a particular artist offers often interesting new challenges. For example, if I have to write a piece for an instrument, which I don’t know well, then I have to study very well the character and the technical possibilities of that instrument. Or, if I should write a piece for a very unusual instrumental ensemble – then you must be able to create new orchestration principles. I like those kind of challenges.
I am happy that most of my concertos have had several performances. Because the Swedish label BIS is recording my works on an ongoing basis, the pieces have also more possibilities to stay as a part of a living musical tradition. My most popular concerto is the percussion concerto Sieidi (originally for Colin Currie, though not a BBT commission) which has been played already about 100 times (with three different soloists). The Clarinet Concerto has had at least 23 performances (with four different soloists). After the première in Den Haag, Jörgen van Rijen has played the Trombone Concerto also in Finland, Belgium and Brazil. The Double Bassoon Concerto has been played in Poland, Belgium and Spain and new performances are coming soon in Canada and Iceland.
Read Bram van Sambeek’s blog about the première of the Concerto for Two Bassoons here