What the critics are saying
— Frances Wilson, London
Peter Martens’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations (original version) in London:
“[This performance] combined understated virtuosity (the work contains some fiendish technical challenges for the cellist and few opportunities for the soloist to rest) with a delightful interplay between soloist and ensemble. Peter Martens’ tone was rich and colourful, balancing wit with seriousness to create a performance of great variety, character and warmth.”
— The Strad Magazine, Joanne Talbot
Peter Martens and Portuguese pianist, Luis Magalhães, won the 2011 Classical Music SAMA for their recording of the complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Beethoven: “Martens delivers brilliantly incisive and spirited accounts of all these works.”
— Michael Green
Peter Martens’s performance of Richard Strauss Don Quixote with KZNPO: “Martens was outstanding in his widely varied role”
— The Strad Magazine, Robin Stowell
Of his Bach Cello Suites CD: “Peter Martens’ interpretations are thoughtfully prepared and generally commendably executed, balancing modern performance practices with the simple clarity of period style. [...] Martens brings aristocratic poise, poetry and rhythmic flexibility to the preludes. [...] His courantes are generally fast and light and his sarabandes are profound and freely contemplative. [...] Martens is playful in the gallantries, giving spring to the pairs of menuets in nos. 1 and 2, playing the bourées in mischievous vein [...] and injecting the gavottes with a sense of fun.”
— FOM Soiree, Andy Wilding
Peter Martens with Bryan Wallick performing Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata: “Martens’ cello is one of the most beautiful sounds – a deep rich harmonic wooden stringed singing being. His playing is superb, compassionate elegant phrasing, and flawless technique. His bow knows the exact line between the tender softness and the hard edge, and this extra dimension is masterfully applied to his dynamics. He expresses a full range of emotion, from angst and agitation to acceptance and wisdom.”
— The Cross-Eyed Pianist Blog, Frances Wilson
Musicanti Chamber Orchestra at St John’s Smith Square London: “For Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, a work inspired by the composer’s love of Mozart, the ensemble was joined by South African cellist Peter Martens for a performance which combined understated virtuosity (the work contains some fiendish technical challenges for the cellist and few opportunities for the soloist to rest) with a delightful interplay between soloist and ensemble. Peter Martens’ tone was rich and colourful, balancing wit with seriousness to create a performance of great variety, character and warmth.”
— WhatsoninCapeTown, Andra le Roux-Kemp
“Martens also played superbly and mined from the wooden body of his cello that wonderful rich variety of tone colours for which he has become so renowned.”
— Thys Oodendal
Of Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival: “Luis Magalhães’ decisive performance on the piano in Derevianko/ Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15 ensured the solid foundation for a most exciting and at the same time profound rendition. In turn it was enhanced by the playing of the two magnificent string musicians – Alissa Margulis (violin) and Peter Martens (cello) [...] The music is loaded with Shostakovian commentary, with the unmistakable satirical nuances brilliantly established by Margulis and Martens. There is even an unashamedly, wonderfully tongue-in-cheek galloping sequence from Rossini’s opera William Tell, introduced and deliciously repeated several times in idiomatic Shostakovich fashion by Martens. What a privilege to experience music making of this stature!”. “The fiery entrance of the “(Allegro) Marcia” of Dohnányi’s Serenade Trio in C, op.10, was intoxicating under the decisive first violin (Madeline Atkins), and equally magnificent playing by Gareth Lubbe (viola) and Peter Martens (cello).”
— American Record Guide, David W Moore
Of his Bach Suites CD: “Martens is a fine player from South Africa who plays these classics (or baroques) of the cello literature with taste and love and a sense of phrasing and voiceleading that is satisfying to the ears. He balances his love of Casals’ romantic phrasing with a respect for the simple clarity of the early music players, resulting in a very listenable set of performances. [...] an imaginative reading of the music, played with skill and musicality.”
— Die Beeld, Thys Odendaal
“Of his latest CD, the Bach Cello Suites: “The clarity of Martens’ playing and interpretation is an exceptional achievement”
— Music Web International, Rob Barnett
Stephenson Bass and cello concerto with Cape Philharmonic CD: “Let’s also hear more from the superbly talented Bosch and the masterful Martens...”
— Mary Kunz Goldman
“The cello is rich and passionate and the piano, especially, rings out with authority and excitement.”
— Arts News KZN, Michael Green
“The Saint-Saens [concerto]...was given an excellent, well judged performance by Peter Martens”
— Strings Magazine, Edith Eisler
“...what makes the recording most remarkable is the excellence of the performances: technically flawless, perfect in ensemble, and strikingly expressive, especially in the slow movements. The cellist’s tone is pure and beautiful, the changes of mood and character are natural and organic. The balance between rhythmic steadiness and flexibility is admirable... This recording is a splendid addition to the discography of these great works.”
— Die Burger, Pieter Kooij
“The dances were all played with a strong basic rhythm, but with a suppleness helping the music to breath, enhancing phrase endings and allowing the musical inflection to come to the fore”
— Perry Havranek
Of a performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto for the 100th year of Eurythmy celebrations in Cape Town, “As soon as Peter Martens made his first melodious cello entry with his exquisite quality of sound projection, my immediate eurythmy experience was that of accessing the sudden manifestation of a warm width of etheric cello soundscape substance all round in the space that allowed us eurythmists to heighten our visible singing more freely and beautifully than ever, it seemed.”
— Die Burger, Kobus van der Merwe
“The highlight of the concert was Peter Martens’ delivery of the Haydn C Major cello concerto. In the lyrical first and second movements Martens carried the melodic line particularly beautifully...he had good intonation throughout and his relaxed playing in the virtuoso fingerwork of the Allegro molto movement is impressive”
— Vollksblad, Elretha Britz
Of the world Premier of Allan Stephenson’s Cello concerto: “Martens seized the challenge of this work with its effective percussive passages and in places took ones breath away with his technical mastery”
— Cape Times
Dion Irish of his CD launch performance of Allan Stephenson’s cello concerto with the Cape Philharmonic: “Martens set off on his challenging solo journey with a feisty first subject and delivered it with assured projection. The second subject material, too, received warmly mannered treatment, with flexible use of vibrato and fluent bowing...Martens played it with conviction, including a second taxing cadenza.”
— Strad Magazine, Joanne Talbot
Martens’s latest CD release “The complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Beethoven”: “Peter Martens delivers brilliantly incisive and spirited accounts of all these works and makes a particularly good case for the cello arrangement of the Horn Sonata op.17."
— Die Burger, Wayne Muller
“The star of this concert was the cellist Peter Martens with a staggering interpretation of Haydn’s cello concerto in C. It was stylistic with fast passages precisely articulated, and in the Adagio long supple lines – truly enchanting playing”
— The Herald, Rupert Mayr
“Whenever he was entrusted with one of those great melodic lines...his singing tone resounded in full beauty.”
— The Argus, Johan Cloete
“...hats off to young Peter Martens who had to switch from Schostakovitch’s First Concerto to the Dvorak at relatively short notice. Taxing as it was, Martens showed no signs of trepidation...”
— Cue, Brett Pyper
In a crit titled “Fresh delivery, sensitive interpretation”, of a performance of the 6 Bach Suites: “His phrasing is alternately crisp and soaring, his tempi never sag, and he explores the light and shade within his instrument’s tone palette in ways that animate the pieces at hand.”
— Die Burger, Wayne Muller
“Martens took listeners on a journey of sound as he magically produced beautiful music from his instrument”
— The Star
In a crit titled “Dazzling virtuosity”, Paul Boekkooi wrote, “Martens’ line and control is masterly...his tone always had a refined roundness about it with no scratchy sounds at all”
— Die Burger, Matildie Thom
“...with Martens’ serious artistry the ensemble was multifaceted, full of personality and absorbing...the performance also drew attention to Martens’ clear, sweet high register.”