Reviews
Concerts 2001-
Sorabji: Transcendental Studies vol I (CD)
"Got a minute?" (CD)
The Complete Piano Music of György Ligeti (CDs)
Karlheinz Stockhausen (duo
CD)
Live CD, Husum Festival 2001
"Intersections" (CD)
Concerts 2001-
A pianist always stretches the
human limits of speed, stamina and muscular control, much like a runner. When
one of them manages to solve the technical difficulties in a hitherto unplayable
piano piece, it is also a kind of world record, but – in contrast to the case of
the runner – without support from the stands. To have been transformed into a
myth after several such world records is something which does not worry Fredrik
Ullén, because he is naturalness itself. When he sat down on the piano chair of
the virtuosi on Wednesday, he made it into a bench for story telling.
- Carl-Gunnar Ĺhlén, Svenska Dagbladet, Dec 1, 2006
[Volans'] three Piano Études, were
performed with sensitive insight, both musical and pianistic, by Fredrik
Ullén... Ullén's performance made them constantly gripping.
- Michael Dervan, The Irish Times, Apr 9, 2004
The juxtaposition of the 1820s and 1960s [Schubert/Kurtág] was... exciting and
rewarding.
---
The second half contained pieces by Kevin Volans and György Ligeti... Both
composers in these pieces put immense demands on the technique of the
performer... Fredrik Ullén possesses, presumably as few, the technical
virtuosity; and what is more, he has the ability to shape the overall form of
the pieces... a fantastic piano recital.
- Per Olov Backman, Östgöta Correspondenten, Mar 30, 2004
...skilful
and sensitive playing of pianists Ullén and Pöntinen...
- Dagens Nyheter, Feb 13, 2004
...enorm viel
Gestalt- und Characterreichtum... Eine Glanzleistung!
- Kieler Nachrichten, Aug 26 2003
Ungeheures Können entfaltet der Schwede Fredrik Ullén am Instrument. .. jeder
Ton scheint genaustens durchdacht und inspiriert. Das ist umso erstaunlicher bei
dem, was der Mann spielt: Sorabji... so schwere Klaviermusik, dass er ihre
Aufführung jahrelang verbot. Ullén kommt damit auf grandiose Weise zurecht.
- Schleswig-Holsteinicher Landeszeitung, Aug 26 2003
...astonishing precision, stamina, and imagination
- Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe, July 18 2002
A large and enthusiastic audience was appropriately there.. when Swedish pianist Frederik Ullén made his spectacular debut...Mr. Ullén's virtuosity was equaled
by his poetry
- Paul Griffiths, New York Times, May 16 2001
...a pianist with boundless resources of technique, intellectual concentration,
and sheer stamina
- Jed Distler, Andante, 12 May 2001
a formidable musical intellect and breathtaking virtuosity
- Farhan Malik, The Piano Quarterly, 2001
eine unglaubliche pianistische Präsens...irrwitziger Technik
Hedwig Schröder, Flensburger Tageblatt, Aug 25 2001
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CD Sorabji: Transcendental Studies vol I (BIS-CD-1373)
♪
5/5 rating (CD Review, Swedish National Radio)
♪
CD of the week (Swedish National Radio)
♪
Double 5 star rating from BBC Music Magazine
see
www.bbcmusicmagazine.com for
full review!
♪ 10/10
KlassikHeute
see
www.klassik-heute.de for full
review!
♪
Selection, International Piano
"a kaleidoscope of manic wit, bluesy charm, giddying
cascades of sound, polyrhythmic jeux d'esprit, flirtatious arabesques,
busy nocturnes...
...the music has found an interpreter equal to its outrageous pianistic
demands... Fredrik Ullén's real achievement here is simply (simply?)
to play the music as music, as effortlessly as he would play a Mozart
sonata, to take away the performing-bear elements conferred by
its improbable difficulties. The surprising result is that many of these
Studies bubble with fun... The recorded sound is top-drawer quality."
Martin Anderson, International Piano, September/October 2006
"Fredrik Ullén... with incomprehensibly agile fingers and
enthusiasm achieves the superhuman...A pathbreaking pioneer achievement"
Robert Nemecek, Piano News, March 2006
"...utter textual
clarity and jaw-dropping virtuosity. His notes are a model of helpfulness,
too... Heartily recommended."
Calum MacDonald, BBC Music Magazine, April 2006
"...amply illuminating the parallel universe that is
Sorabji's creativity... Those familiar with Ullén's Ligeti (BIS, 1/97) will
know that he has the dexterity and finesse to do this music justice without
making light of either its innate difficulty or its protean imagination.
Ullén's observations on each study are succinctly informative... "
Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone, June 2006
"The challenges set by this music are met
spectacularly by Ullen... There will be a grim fascination in seeing how the
rest of the cycle emerges."
Andrew Clements, The Guardian, Mar 3, 2006
"As a pianistic achievement it is
something extraordinary, and Fredrik Ullén once again demonstrates that he
combines virtuosity in utter world class with supreme artistic control. "
Thomas Anderberg, Dagens Nyheter, Feb 15 2006
"Transcendence - here it means surmounting human limitations and neural
resistance... The Swede Fredrik Ullén has now descended into this snake-pit
and recorded the first 25 etudes. He does not get strangled like Laokoon. He
never loses track of his magnificent overview. His fingers never slack. He has
a secure grasp. His use of the pedal is restrained. This kind of music is
overpowering. One breathes heavily. "
Wolfram Goertz, Die Zeit, Feb 16 2006
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CD "Got a minute?"
(BIS-CD-1083)
♪
10/10 classicstoday.com
♪ Stern des Monats
(FonoForum)
♪ 10/10
KlassikHeute
♪
Critic's Choice (New York Times)
♪ Recommandé
(Repertoire)
♪
Take Five (Gramophone)
♪
Best Swedish CD 2000 (NärVarHur 2001)
a technique reminiscent of Horowitz and Wild, and a
temperament reminiscent of Cherkassy and the young Bolet"
- John Beversluis, American
Record Guide, Mar/Apr 2001
a young pianist as stylish as he is scintillating. Ullén plays Cortot's
arrangement.. with a warmth and cantabile worthy of the great pianist himself
and, throughout, shows himself a master of every elaborate challenge and
surprise
- Bryce Morrison, Gramophone (Take Five selection),
April 2001
Swedish Pianist Fredrik Ullén is quite a phenomenon... he is indeed masterful
- Susan Kagan, Fanfare, May/June 2001
astonishing clarity and dexterity...a remarkable
achievement
- Tim Parry, Gramophone, March 2001
superbe Einspielung..Ullens höchst souveräne manuelle wie
agogisch kunstvolle Diktion jedenfalls fürhte zu einem wahrhaft exquisiten
Tonträger
- Knut Franke, FonoForum Oct 2001
freedom, humour, sensitivity and tact that put one in
mind of the great virtuosi of old. A peach of a disc, beautifully recorded
-
Calum MacDonald, International Piano Quarterly
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CDs The Complete Piano Works of Ligeti
(BIS-CD-783 & 983)
♪
Diapason d'or (vol I)
♪
5/5 Diapason (vol II)
♪
CHOC de Le Monde de la Musique
♪
Stern des Monats (FonoForum)
♪
Recomendado (CD Compact)
♪
Want List (Fanfare, 3 different reviewers)
The incredible Fredrik Ullén is not yet thirty
- Paul
Rapoport, Fanfare
This is one luscious-sounding piano disc! ... a great
over-competent performance
- Mike Silverton, Fanfare
a triumph of interpretation as well as recording
-
Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone, Aug 1999
...Fredrik Ullén’s recording on BIS 783 may be my favorite of all, as he takes
tempos even marginally faster than Aimard, and has a steely control that brings
out the music’s incised internal relationships without ever sacrificing rhythmic
drive.
- Robert Carl, Fanfare, Sept/Oct 2003
Complete piano music double-CD (BIS
CD-1683/1684)
♪
10/10 Classics Today
Ullén's effortless, multi-leveled virtuosity deserve nothing less than our
highest recommendation.
Jed Distler, Classics Today, 2006
It almost goes
without saying that Fredrik Ullén is superbly in control of every aspect of
these pieces, from the sublimely simple to the ridiculously complex.
...at every point up to BIS’s extremely high standard...So, what if anything
is likely to prevent you from dashing out and buying this set immediately?
Nothing: unless you have a prejudice against ‘modern’ music...played by
Frederik Ullén it comes across unique and unembroidered – like the bittersweet
centre of the best chocolate you ever tasted.
Dominy Clements, Music Web International, 2006
äußerst
bewegliche, leichte Fingerarbeit und... einen überlegenen Klangsinn.
Hartmut Lück, Klassik Heute, 2006
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Karlheinz Stockhausen (duo CD)
♪
5/5 Diapason
♪ Recommendation
(Neue Zeitschrift für Musik)
Jonny Axelsson (Perkussion) und Fredrik Ullén (Klavier) sind Musiker, die ihr
überragendes technisches Vermögen rückhaltlos und leidenschaftlich
ausschöpfen... Es ist ihr hoher Reflexionsgrad, der fasziniert. Er ist so hoch,
dass er in einen sinnlichen Klang umschlägt.
---
Ulléns Interpretation der Klavierstücke ist die präzise Übersetzung von
Stockhausens Idee dieser Musik...
- Anette Eckerle, Neue Zeitschrift für Musik,
...fresh and imposing.
- Julian Cowley, The Wire, Oct 2000
Fredrik Ullén, after the death of Karl-Erik Welin perhaps our foremost
interpreter of avant-gardist piano music, owns the controlled virtuosity that is
demanded by works such as Klavierstück V and IX. His feeling for sound and
timing appears absolute.
- Sten Wistrand, Nerikes Allehanda, June 19, 2000
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Live CD, Rarities of Piano Music Festival
(Husum) 2001 (Danacord DACOCD 589)
...idiomatic and commanding, whether in Bartók.. or Laura
Netzel
- Bryce Morrison, Gramophone, March 2003
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CD "Intersections" (CAP
21725)
♪
CD of the Week (Swedish National Radio 2004)
[Fredrik Ullén]... has a fabulous technique...
a lot is gained by listening to all 23 tracks in one sitting, in a seance of
listening with closed eyes, for a good 50 minutes. Schubert in a new light, and
for many an overwhelming new acquaintance in the Hungarian Kurtág.
- P-G Bergfors, Göteborgsposten, Sep 7, 2004
Ullén plays, as expected, clearly and sensibly.
- Sara Norling, Dagens Nyheter, Sep 8, 2004
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