For a musician to cross over into con­duct­ing is not unheard of – much rarer nowadays is the instrumental virtuoso who composes. But Christian Lind­berg again proves the exception. Having carved out his very own niche as a trombone soloist by astonishing a whole world with the brilliance of his play­ing, he started to write music mainly for his own use. This has led to a long list of commis­sions to fill, from individual musicians as well as from institutions such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. This portrait disc – on which Christian Lindberg appears not only as composer, but also as soloist and conductor! – contains works written between 1999-2004. Inspired by sources as diverse as Swedish playwright August Strindberg – ‘…ty solen är uppe’ (‘…for the Sun is Arisen’) for trombone and male choir – or a Brazilian documentary – The World of Montuagretta for flute and orchestra – these works gives a fascinating insight into the creative imagination of their composer. And while several of them have originated from a narrative idea, they are not intended as programme music. Indeed, in his own liner notes, Christian Lindberg states his ambition clearly: ‘My only goal has been to write music that interests me personally, and that I myself find attractive.’ Presented by world-leading soloists (Christian Lindberg himself, Sharon Bezaly and Ole Edvard Antonsen), ensembles and orchestras, this music will surely be found both interesting and attractive by many others too.

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Release: Sep 2001