Martinsson/Larsson collaboration

Rolf Martinsson and soprano Lisa Larsson are continuing their unique collaboration, which to date has resulted in some hundred performances since 2012, of Martinsson’s song cycles Orchestral Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson, Garden of Devotion - five songs on poems by Tagore and Ich denke Dein… - five song on poems by Rilke Goethe and Eichendorff, and other songs.

Future performances include two performances of Garden of Devotion with Lisa Larsson and the Wiener Kammerorchester under Stefan Vladar in Wiener Konzerthaus on 17 December. November will see the Australian premiere of Ich denke Dein… with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Stanislav Kochanovsky, and Gustavo Gimeno will conduct the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic in the Stockholm premiere of the same work in May 2018.

Earlier this year Lisa Larsson sung Orchestral Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson with the NorrlandsOperan SO/Rumon Gamba and Oulo SO/Johannes Gustavsson (Finnish premiere), performances that won rave reviews:

“Rolf Martinsson has managed to make use of the poem's short phrases filled with intimacy and intensity, suberbly interpreted by Rumon Gamba. Lisa Larsson sang divinely, mastering the entire range of colours, sometimes sweeping and sometimes restrained... I feel seduced by the inviting music and its short sequenses, and I bow deeply to Lisa Larsson's artistry and phenomenal voice, an essence of music that immediately embraces you..."

Västerbottenskuriren 19.1.2017

"...Orchestral Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson by the Swede Rolf Martinsson are dazzling (…) Lisa Larsson brought the kaleidoscope-like views on display in a charming way: sparkling light, nature, quiet sorrow and crystal-clear chinks high above. Her singing and performing were both totally captivating. The voice and the words floated naturally and unforced. Brilliant twists and turns were amusing and beautiful melodies charming. A little bit of traditional lied, a hint of Bernstein and Britten, a pinch of Nordic sound world - tasty (delicious) and new."

Kaleva 13.5.2017