Anders Kilstrom Solo Daphne 1018 [HC]: Classical CD Reviews- September 2005 MusicWeb-International

For his first solo recording, Kilström chose a number of recent works by living Swedish composers - all in their fifties at the time of writing. The music forms part of his repertoire and for which he obviously has a close affinity.

Johan Hammerth is the only composer here whose name and music are new to me. I welcome this fine opportunity to make contact with his idiomatic piano music. I note that he was trained as a pianist and a composer. He composed a set of 24 preludes between 1999 and 2000, each of them exploring a different musical and emotional world, although – judging by the two preludes heard here – his approach to piano writing is remarkably consistent.

Lindborg’s Runs and Resonances perfectly lives up to what its title implies. In the main it consists of short animated sections of varied character mostly ending on a resounding chord, be it soft or loud.

Lindgren already has a sizeable and hugely varied output. An all-Lindgren disc [Phono Suecia PSCD 21] including the magnificent orchestral piece Fragments of a Circle as well as the highly entertaining Guggi-Guggi for trombone and tape bears ample proof of Lindgren’s wide-ranging concerns. His substantial piano piece Winding Threads is in effect an idiomatic and beautifully made study in two-part counterpoint. It is rather demanding, though ultimately rewarding; a trifle too long for its own good.

Anders Nilsson’s music also features on an all-Nilsson disc (Phono Suecia PSCD 53) including his superb Organ Concerto (1987/8). His beautifully impressionistic Les Cloches de la Nuit inspired by a stay at the well-known Mont Saint Michel in France is a most welcome addition to his discography. It is a really fine piece that clearly deserves wider exposure.

Rolf Martinsson has composed a cycle of twelve piano pieces freely inspired by the Signs of the Zodiac. Three of these are recorded here. The composer describes his Zodiac pieces as written improvisations. For all their variety, the three pieces recorded here make one eager to hear the complete cycle some day. An all-Martinsson disc including the beautiful Kalliope Op.66 for strings and the Kurosawa-inspired orchestral work Dreams Op.35 is available from Daphne [Daphne 1022].

Kilström is a formidable pianist and a very fine musician from whom I definitely look forward to hearing more soon. This debut recording of his is much more than a brilliantly recorded curriculum vitae. It is first and foremost a splendid collection of fine, idiomatically written recent Swedish piano pieces. All merit much more than the occasional hearing..

Hubert Culot


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