Frank Forst & Yukiko Sano: HURLSTONE LACHNER SCHRECK SPOHR EYLAR

Frank Forst presents world premiere recordings in a double sense with this production. Firstly, this refers to a portion of the selected repertoire, and secondly, to the bassoon played by Forst himself.

The musician accompanied the development of the exclusively wooden bassoon (without rubber lining) by the Mönnig company and wanted to capture this sound with corresponding works that differ from the "normal" bassoon repertoire on existing recordings.

Together with his duo partner Yukiko Sano on piano, he decided to record three major sonatas (by Hurlstone, Schreck, and Eylar) interspersed with two short romantic pieces (by Lachner and Spohr). The nocturne op. 83 by Lachner, presented here, was first published in 2006 and recorded here for the first time. The finale is the bassoon sonata premiered last year, dedicated to the composer Leo Eylar and his friend Frank Forst. This is also a world premiere recording.

**Frank Forst:**
Frank Forst is a laureate of the international music competition "Prague Spring" and was a scholarship holder of the German Music Competition. During his studies with Prof. Klaus Thunemann in Hanover, he was a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and became the principal bassoonist of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra (now Konzerthausorchester Berlin) in 1992. Since 1997, he has had a close collaboration with the Camerata Salzburg, where he has been working as principal bassoonist. From 1996 to 2003, he was a lecturer at the Hanns Eisler Music University Berlin as an assistant to Prof. Thunemann and was appointed professor at the Franz Liszt Music University in Weimar in 2003. He performs numerous concerts as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician both nationally and internationally. He has given numerous courses and workshops in Germany, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, China, and the USA. He is also a member of the Euphorion Ensemble.

**Yukiko Sano:**
After studying piano at the Toho-Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Yukiko Sano continued her studies in 2001 at the Franz Liszt Music University in Weimar with Prof. Arne Torger. Since 2003, she has been a lecturer in piano accompaniment at the Franz Liszt Music University in Weimar and also accompanies various courses and workshops. Concerts have taken her to Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, and the USA.

For more information, visit: www.frankforst.com

**Press:**

"The individual works on this recording are clearly structured, absolutely true to the text, and are presented both musically and sonically convincingly. Frank Forst plays a bassoon "Mönnig del Sol". It is worth listening to this excellent CD."

Das Orchester 11/10

"The works by Lachner, Spohr, and Schreck can certainly expand the common wind repertoire, as they utilize the advantages of the instrument – shining through cantabile melodies and virtuosic, sometimes humorous passages. This works even better when the piano part is set as skillfully as here, so that it amplifies the dynamics of the bassoon."

rbb kulturradio 05/10

"Through the virtuosic passages, he steers with nimble fingers and distinctive articulation, thus revising the enduring cliché of the leisurely bass instrument."

Stuttgarter Zeitung 05/10

"Who even knows Gustav Schreck (...) or William Hurlstone (...)? The much sought-after master bassoonist Frank Forst uses his debut to unearth two lively sonatas by these composers. In the end, he proudly presents another one, specially written for him by US composer Leo Eylar."

KulturSPIEGEL 05/10