EnsångförMartin

En sång för Martin (A Song for Martin) is a film directed by Bille sugust and features a score by frequently hired composer Stefan Nilson. The Swedish composer is known for scores like Pelle erobreren (Pelle the Conqueror) Den Goda Viljan (The Best Intensions) and Så som i Himmelen (As It Is In Heaven)

The film tells the story of composer and conductor Martin Fisher, brilliantly played by Sen Wollter) who falls in love with Barbare (Viveka Seldahl), a violinist in a symphony orchestra. But then Martin experiences several moments of error, which turn out to be the first signs of the Alzheimers´s disease. Unfortunately, he was in the middle of the making of a symphonic and desperately wants to achieve his target. While Martin begins to suffer more and more, Barbara tries help him in these most demanding times.

One of the most interesting parts about music, in relation to someone suffering from Alzheimer, is what things it can evoke. I´ve seen how people became more active, triggering an urge to dance, tell about what kind of memories were attached to a certain piece, a smile or a tear out of sheer happiness.... Unfortunately ´side-effects´ can be the fact that a single piece is connected to terrible events that once occurred. In the case of a composer/conductor, it´s rather interesting to see how they can be exposed to their inabilities to act and think accordingly. Even in the early stage of the disease, one could fully realise that not everything goes as it should. As times passes, more complex things, like knowing how to conduct an orchestra or interpreting some musical notes, become more and more troublesome. These things are tackled in the film, but I somehow wish that someday a filmmaker would dare to fully focus on the isolated state of being and seen through the limited musical world of a musician.

The cd release opens with "Martins sång", a beautiful and haunting theme. The cue is structured around a repetitive melody for the orchestra with stunning woodwind section and solo violin performances. The music is supported by the beautiful wordless singing of soprano Margareta Jalkéus also known for her vocal contribution to Nilsson´s score for two episodes of the Van Veeteren series (episodes Fallet G and Borkmanns Punkt). The composers shows how great emotional heights can be reached by deploying such simple and modest musical ideas. Another take on theme is written for piano, but is far more restrained. The theme can easily be regarded as one of his best.

Other cues ("Barbara", "Smekmånad" and "Violinen") show similar tentative ideas and just Nilsson takes his time to develop them calm and thorough. These are the kind of pieces of music that support the sensitivity and intimacy of a relationship between Martin and Barbara best.

Both "Prolog" and "Konsertstycke i C#-mol"l, are pieces very different in tone than the other music, being quite more demanding terms of orchestral power and sound much more solemn and greater in scope. Yes, I wouldn´t mind hearing a much longer concert piece. Nonetheless, they are nice additions to the rest of the score.

Overall En sång för Martin is a very good score, even though it runs for no more than 17 minutes, that is highly recommended. I have a soft spot for shorter scores, but even I often feel that it would have been great to see and hear extensions of the ideas of the score as presented. I strongly urge everyone to also purchase three other releases: Så Som i Himmelen by Normal records, the compilation album Filmmusik by Virgin and Pelle Erobreren (combined with Björn Isfält´s score from Mitt Liv Som Hund') by Milan records.


Track listing
1. Martin's Song (02:32)
2. Honeymoon (01:59)
3. Prologue ("Symphony in G flat") (03:32)
4. Martin's Song (Piano version) (03:23)
5. Concert Piece in C Sharp Major (02:08)
6. The Violin (00:45)
7. Barbara (02:51)

Total Duration: 17:10


Review written on 26-01-2015