Updated: August 26, 2024 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Introducing The Guitar Player

Swedish classical guitarist Mattias Schulstad releases his second full-length album, The Guitar Player. The album features beloved works for the guitar and traditional songs from his homeland.

"This recording features some of my earliest musical impressions." —Mattias Schulstad

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—On August 4, 2023, Swedish classical guitarist Mattias Schulstad released his second full-length album, The Guitar Player. The album is named after Vermeer's eponymous painting from 1672, and connects beloved works for the classical guitar with traditional Swedish songs in new arrangements for the guitar.

The Guitar Player is chosen by Classic FM as Album of the Week, and has streamed more than 0.5M times to date. Of the album's eighteen tracks, thirteen tracks have seen editorial picks by Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Spotify, Classic FM & BBC Radio 3 (U.K.), NPO Radio 4 (The Netherlands), Opus 100,7 (Luxembourg), Sveriges Radio P2 (Sweden), for Gramophone's Video of the Day, and more.

The Guitar Player features a selection of works from the guitar's standard repertoire, which form an eclectic collection of gems. It's complemented by works from Sweden's treasure trove of songs, presented in new minimalist arrangements for the guitar.

The guitar's and Sweden's musical traditions meet in two similar folk songs, El cant dels ocells (Spain), and Ack Värmeland, du sköna (Sweden), presented here on record together for the first time.

"This recording features some of my earliest musical impressions," says Mattias Schulstad. "It joins the two traditions I grew up in."

On March 22, 2024, the release will be joined by a visual album, featuring filmed performances of all tracks, and conversation between Mattias and Pulitzer-winner Tim Page.

Track List

1. Roland Dyens: Tango en skaï

2. Stanley Myers: Cavatina (from "The Deer Hunter")

3. Isaac Albéniz: Suite española, Op.47, No.5: Asturias (Leyenda)

4. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: I. Moderato

5. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: II. Mosso

6. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: III. Cantabile

7. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: IV. Presto

8. Oscar Ahnfelt: Blott en dag (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

9. Agustín Barrios Mangoré: Una limosna por el amor de Dios

10. Manuel de Falla: Homenaje (pour le tombeau de Debussy)

11. Trad.: Ack Värmeland, du sköna (Swedish folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

12. Eduardo Sainz de la Maza: Campanas del alba

13. Trad: Koralmelodi från Älvdalen (Swedish folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

14. Trad: El cant dels ocells (Catalan folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Emilio Pujol)

15. Waldemar Åhlén: Sommarpsalm

16. Agustín Barrios Mangoré: Villancico de Navidad

17. Evert Taube: Nocturne

18. Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

Mattias Schulstad, guitar

Quotes

"It is a contemplative album that you can listen to in one piece by simply letting yourself drift away to the music." —Opus 100,7 (Luxembourg) (March, 2024) [Link to article]

"Schulstad's playing has a quiet refinement throughout, and the listener willing to enter into a contemplative frame of mind will reap big rewards here." —AllMusic (January, 2024) [link to full review]

"Immaculate and sensitive playing that takes a listener to the heart of Bach's music." —Tim Page (July, 2022)

"Mattias calls it 'premium grade Bach.' And he says he hopes to present it as a piece of music, not just an exercise. And we think you succeeded." —BBC Radio 3 (July, 2022)

"I marveled at how his playing, with a low-key softness and extraordinary precision, carried the music forward, completely without the unwieldy flashiness of some guitarists. Hackneyed show-stoppers like Albéniz's Asturias and Tárregas's Capricho árabe gained new luster in his restrained interpretation." —Upsala Nya Tidning (November, 2018)

"The Koyunbaba suite, written in the 1980s, quickly became popular among concert guitarists, but is not heard so often nowadays. Mattias Schulstad performed it in such a way that should create the conditions for a renewed popularity of the work. With beautiful, lingering music in three rather slow movements, followed by a technically highly demanding Presto, it was a worthy end to a brilliant recital and a distinguished concert season." —Upsala Nya Tidning, November, 2018

"The playing throughout is refined, intelligent and highly musical; the tone, though never sweet, is fulsome and appealing. An outstanding debut." —Gramophone (Editor’s Choice) (September, 2012)

Music Overview

• Genre: Classical

• Subgenre: Solo Instrumental, Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar

• Instrument: Classical Guitar

• Music Culture: Various

• Covers: Yes

• Remixes: No

• Instrumentals: Yes

• Recording: Studio

• Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

• Current Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Track by Track

01. Roland Dyens: Tango en skaï

Charm, drama, wit: a cute French tango pastiche, brought new embellishments, encouraged by meetings with the composer.

The work references both Villa-Lobos’ concerto for guitar and orchestra, and first etude for guitar, as well as Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.

Mood

• Energetic

• Sexy

Style

• Acoustic

• Beats

Stats

• Apple Music: New in Classical

• Classic FM: Album of the Week

• Tidal: Producer Mix: David Frost

• radio 100,7: Album of the Week

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

02. Stanley Myers: Cavatina (from "The Deer Hunter")

Loss, anger, resignation: a lament – featured in the film "The Deer Hunter" (1978) – brought seamless subtlety.

Mood

• Meditative

• Sad

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stats

• Spotify: Classical New Releases

• Phillip Gainsley: Let’s Talk Music

• Tidal: Producer Mix: David Frost

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

03. Isaac Albéniz: Suite española, Op.47, No.5: Asturias (Leyenda)

Drama, romance, action: a flamenco-inspired work in four parts, brought textural nuance and rhythmic density, informed by the work’s first edition and Frühbeck de Burgos’ orchestral interpretation.

Mood

• Energetic

• Meditative

Style

• Beats

• Ballad

Stats

• Classic FM: Album of the Week

• Tidal: Encore: New in Classical

• Tidal: Producer Mix: David Frost

• radio 100,7: Album of the Week

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

04. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: I. Moderato

Mystic, epic, dreamlike: this musical odyssey is brought tighter form and a rich, dark sound.

“The Koyunbaba suite, written in the 1980s, quickly became popular among concert guitarists but is not heard so often nowadays. Mattias Schulstad performed it in such a way that should create the conditions for a renewed popularity of the work.” –Upsala Nya Tidning (November 25, 2018)

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stats

• Tidal: Classical: TIDAL HiRes

• Tidal: Producer Mix: David Frost

• radio 100,7: Album of the Week

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

05. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: II. Mosso

Shimmering, fluttering, transcendent:: a kaleidoscopic miniature, brought rhythmic rigor and melodic nuance.

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

06. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: III. Cantabile

Nostalgia, transformation, catharsis: a dreamlike ballad, brought balanced emotion and structure.

Mood

• Meditative

• Romantic

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

07. Carlo Domeniconi: Koyunbaba, Op.19: IV. Presto

Fast, dark, sublime: the conclusion of an epic work, brought tighter structure and rhythm.

Mood

• Energetic

• Fierce

Style

• Acoustic

• Beats

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

08. Oscar Ahnfelt: Blott en dag (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

Bliss, harmony, grace: introducing this Swedish psalm for solo guitar, on the value of facing hardship one moment at a time.

Mood

• Chill

• Romantic

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

09. Agustín Barrios Mangoré: Una limosna por el amor de Dios

Mysticism, joy, relief: this work featuring the tremolo technique is brought sober structure, harmonic balance and melodic clarity.

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stats

• Sveriges radio P2: Kalejdoskop

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

10. Manuel de Falla: Homenaje (pour le tombeau de Debussy)

Haunting austerity, languorous yearning, vivid hope, wavering dissolution and rebounding demise: a eulogy to Debussy in the form of a dark habanera, brought melodic clarity and timeless modernity.

Mood

• Fierce

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stats

• Phillip Gainsley: Let’s Talk Music

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

11. Trad.: Ack Värmeland, du sköna (Swedish folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

Nostalgia, joy, comfort: introducing this Swedish folk song for solo guitar, heard on record by Jussi Björling and Stan Getz (“Dear Old Stockholm”), and in related works like Smetana’s “Moldau” and the Catalan traditional El cant dels ocells.

Mood

• Romantic

• Sad

Style

• Traditional

• Ballad

Stats

• Classic FM: Album of the Week

• radio 100,7: Album of the Week

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

12. Eduardo Sainz de la Maza: Campanas del alba

Nostalgia & uncertainty: an impressionistic work featuring the “tremolo” guitar technique, brought a tight structure and adjusted final chord.

The composer taught Mattias’ first teacher, whom he helped obtain a 1971 Ignacio Fleta guitar, now passed on to Mattias and played on this recording.

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Ballad

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

13. Trad: Koralmelodi från Älvdalen (Swedish folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

Haunting grief, hope, repentance, redemption: introducing this Swedish psalm for solo guitar.

A version of the melody is recorded by ABBA (Live at Wembley Arena, 1979), and often heard at funerals in Sweden, as the organ arrangement Gammal fäbodpsalm.

Mood

• Fierce

• Sad

Style

• Traditional

• Ballad

Stats

• Apple Music: Classical A.M.

• Apple Music: Songs Without Words

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

14. Trad: El cant dels ocells (Catalan folk song) (arr. for Guitar by Emilio Pujol)

Calm, bliss, grace: introducing this traditional Catalan Christmas song for solo guitar, heard by soprano Victoria de los Ángeles and cellist Pablo Casals.

Mood

• Chill

• Romantic

Style

• Traditional

• Ballad

Stats

• Apple Music: Guitar Chill

• Gramophone: Video of the Day

• Streams: 82.5K (August 4 – November 25, 2023)

• Skip rate: 2%

Stream Audio
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

15. Waldemar Åhlén: Sommarpsalm

Harmonic, peaceful, rich: introducing this Swedish psalm for solo guitar, reflecting the lush, light and idyllic Swedish summer.

Mood

• Chill

• Happy

Style

• Acoustic

• Holiday

Stats

• Sveriges radio P2: Lördagsmorgon med Boel Adler

Stream
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

16. Agustín Barrios Mangoré: Villancico de Navidad

Love, loss, resilience & redemption: this Christmas carol is brought editorial clarity to its interlude sections (featuring harmonics), and gently rocking barcarolle-like rhythms.

Mood

• Chill

• Happy

Style

• Ballad

• Christmas

Stats

• Gramophone: Video of the Day

• Sveriges radio P2: Lördagsmorgon med Eva Sjöstrand

Stream
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz

17. Evert Taube: Nocturne

Peaceful, loving, calm: introducing this Swedish lullaby for solo guitar.

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Ballad

• Kids

Stats

• Apple Music: Guitar Chill

• Apple Music: Classical Music for Love

• Classic FM: Album of the Week

Stream
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)

18. Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 (arr. for Guitar by Mattias Schulstad)

Gloom, reflection and growth; stress, redemption and grace: Bach's prelude BWV 999 is brought musicological clarity – informed by scholar Christoph Wolff – to its bass line (measure 23). And its texture treated like a fabric of interdependent melodies.

"Immaculate and sensitive playing that takes a listener to the heart of Bach's music." —Tim Page

"Mattias calls it 'premium grade Bach.' And he says he hopes to present it as a piece of music, not just an exercise. And we think you succeeded." —BBC Radio 3

Mood

• Chill

• Meditative

Style

• Acoustic

• Beats

Stats

• YouTube Music: Basically Baroque

• Classic FM: Album of the Week

• BBC Radio 3: Breakfast, Saturday

• Spotify: Classical New Releases

• TIDAL: Producer Mix: David Frost

• NPO Radio 4: Lekkere Track

• radio 100,7: Album of the Week

• Phillip Gainsley: Let's Talk Music

Stream
Download Audio 16-bit / 44.1 kHz
Download Audio 24-bit / 192 kHz
Spoken Introduction (Tim Page & Mattias Schulstad)
Compare with 90 other commercial recordings

Release Events

Ahead of its release, Classic FM named The Guitar Player Album of the Week, highlighting five tracks on weekdays around 10:20 AM local time:

1. Albéniz: Suite española, Op.47, No.5: Asturias (Leyenda)

2. Dyens: Tango en skaï

3. Bach: Prelude in C minor, BWV 999

4. Swedish trad.: Ack Värmeland du sköna (Dear Old Stockholm)

5. Taube: Nocturne

Upon its release, Apple Music chose four tracks, highly placed on five playlists:

1. Swedish trad.: Koralmelodi från Älvdalen (Classical A.M. & Songs Without Words)

2. Taube: Nocturne (Classical Music for Love)

3. Catalan trad.: El cant dels ocells (Guitar Chill)

4. Dyens: Tango en skaï (New in Classical)

(On August 16, Apple Music placed Nocturne by Taube on a second playlist, Guitar Chill.)

TIDAL chose two tracks and Spotify chose one track:

1. Domeniconi: Koyunbaba Op.19: I. Moderato (Tidal's Classical: TIDAL HiRes)

2. Albéniz: Suite española, Op.47, No.5: Asturias (Leyenda) (Tidal's Encore: New in Classical)

3. Myers: Cavatina (from "The Deer Hunter") (Spotify's Classical New Releases)

Phillip Gainsley hosted Mattias on his podcast Let's Talk Music, featuring the tracks:

1. Myers: Cavatina (from "The Deer Hunter")

2. Bach: Prelude in C minor, BWV 999

3. Falla: Homenaje (pour le tombeau de Debussy)

4. Chopin: Nocturne Op.9 No.2 (arranged for guitar by Tárrega/Schulstad)

The Guitar Player includes the single Prelude in C minor, BWV 999 (Bach), heard to date on:

1. Classic FM (Album of the Week)

2. BBC Radio 3 (Breakfast, Saturday)

3. NPO Radio 4 (Lekkere track)

4. Spotify (Classical New Releases)

5. TIDAL (Encore: New in Classical)

6. YouTube Music (Basically Baroque)

The music video of Myers’ Cavatina (from “The Deer Hunter”) was released, featured by Augustine Strings on its Instagram channel.

Two release events were held, in central Stockholm and the Stockholm archipelago.

Guests included Pulitzer-winner Tim Page and guitarist Mats Bergström.

About Mattias Schulstad
Mattias Schulstad is a Swedish musician and classical guitarist, whose full-length recording debut Invocación introduced the notion in recent history that Chopin influenced the guitar as we know it today. The album is named Editor's Choice by Gramophone, which describes Mattias's playing as "refined, intelligent and highly musical" and calls the album "an outstanding debut."

Invocación is chosen as Album of the Week by Classic FM (U.K.) and WQXR (New York), and heard on editorial playlists on Spotify, where it's reached some 2M streams to date. Learn more on mattiasguitar.com.

Music Professionals:
To audition or feature the recording, high-resolution audio, images and text are available here.

For more information, please contact Mattias Schulstad by email, at info@mattiasguitar.com.

Credits
Audio produced by David Frost and Mattias Schulstad
Audio mixing and mastering: Silas Brown
Audio editing: Mattias Schulstad
Recording dates: February 4, April 20-24, August 3 & 8, 2022
Recording location: RMV Studio, Stockholm, Sweden
Recording engineers: Linn Fijal, Vilma Colling
Assistant engineer: Nathalie Martinez
Assistant engineer (Bach & Myers): Vilma Colling
Audio mixing engineer (Falla): Vilma Colling
Audio editing, mixing and mastering engineer (Bach): Brian Losch
Audio mastering engineer (Falla): Brian Losch
Guitar: Ignacio Fleta e hijos, No.577, 1971 ("Erik")
Album cover photography: Tina Signesdottir

Video director: Mattias Schulstad
Video editing: Mattias Schulstad
Director of photography: Lionel Turner
Gaffer: Måns Gullgren
Digital imaging technician: Astrid Ahlbom Andersson

Total time: 53:01
Audio release date: August 4, 2023

UPC: 197189087813
Catalog number: MS006
Label: Mattias Schulstad

℗ © 2023 Mattias Schulstad
All unauthorized use, including but not limited to sync and AI training, is prohibited without explicit permission.

Special thanks to:
Anja & Mats; David Frost; Augustine Strings; Barbro Osher, Vesna Ljunggren, and the directors of the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; Anders Wall, Cecilia Wikström, Madeleine Banks, and the directors of Kjell och Märta Beijers Stiftelse; Karl Otto Bonnier; Silas Brown; Philip Börjesson; Linn Fijal, Vilma Colling, Nathalie Martinez & RMV Studio; Gustaf Henriksson; Cari Hildebrand; Maaria Holma; Brian Losch; Margaret Mercer; Tim Page; Tina Signesdottir; Willy Silberstein; Karin Switz Sommervold; Göran Söllscher; and Christoph Wolff.

This album was enabled by supporters including Kjell och Märta Beijers Stiftelse, Karl Otto Bonnier, and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.

The Guitar Player is dedicated to the memory of Erik Möllerström.