A recital of the young pianist Ratimir Martinović was held on the 25th Anniversary of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.  

Twenty-two years old Ratimir Martinović is for sure one of the most famous and successful artist of his generation. This can be testified by many performances held in Yugoslavia and successful performances in several European countries, USA, Taiwan, Japan, as well as the awards won at the music competitions in Joplin (USA), Taipei (Taiwan), Paris, Niš, Novi Sad and many others.  The reputation of this talented and promising young pianist was once again confirmed by the concert held in Synagogue for which the artist had chosen a serious and demanding program including some key compositions of the piano concert repertoire.
The recital was opened be precise, concentrated performance of the monumental Bach’s opus, complex polyphonic sounds of „Goldberg“ variations, one of the masterpieces of the baroque music which was musically formed by the pianist himself in a clear way when it comes to the sound, with some sophisticated filigree’s sounds and dynamic shadings. This was followed by a completely different style and mood – four Chopin’s Ballads, compositions of silenced contemplativity but with clear dramatic accents, typical romantic atmosphere filled with quivering and presentment. Performed delicately by Ratimir Martinović it was impressive and sophisticated, lit up by deep, true, inner lyric.

The interpretation of the Beethoven’s piano sonata Op. 106 entitled „Hammerklavier“ which came next, represented the culmination and the most exciting moment of this unusual and successful concert. This complex Beethoven’s piece, full of extremely complex music and technical requirements was a real challenge which gave a chance to this young pianist to express his extraordinary skills, irreproachable, virtuous pianist techniques, powerful character as well as extraordinary imagination. Moreover, Ratimir Martinović offered to the audience a fascinating interpretation of this composition where, in an unrepeatable way, passages of transparent mediation, figure modules and extraordinary eruptive and dramatic conflicts came one after the other, followed by ecstatic torrents of the powerful piano sounds. At the end of the concert, Ratimir Martinović played once again the Toccata op. 11 by Sergej Prokofiev, a composition full of restless, concise rhythms which he brought in an effective and powerful dynamic gradation.

Borislav Hložan - Dnevnik, 1999.

Ratimir Martinović u sali Luksemburške banke

U sali Luksemburške banke jedan mladi crnogorski pijanista je na sjajan način prezentirao svoj talenat izvodeći dela Johana Sebastijana Baha (u transkripciji Tauziga) i Sergeja Rahmanjinova.

Ratimir Martinović, 25 godina, koji je studirao na Univerzitetu u Novom Sadu (Jugoslavija) je pokazao da kada je u pitanju talenat, kvalitet se ne mjeri godinama. Sa 13 godina je priredio svoj prvi resital nakon čega je usledilo više prvih nagrada na međunarodnim takmičenjima.

Upravo Bah-Tauzigovom Tokatom i fugom u d molu za klavir Martinović pokreće poznate polemike. Obzirom da je u pitanju klasik orgulja, ovo delo u njegovom izvođenju poprima izuzetne dimenzije.

Karl Tauzig, (rođen 1841) bio je jedan od najeminentnijih virtuoza svoga vremena, koji se oprobao u mnogobrojnim transkrpcijama na maestralan, samo njemu svojstven načn.

Što se tiče izvođenja Martinovića, ono je slobodno, po ličnom poimanju, kako i treba da bude, pri čemu se teme prepliću i nižu spontano i iznenađujućom snagom sve do blistavog finala. Umetnik svira na poseban način, sve prolazi kroz njegove vitke ruke koje izgledaju kao da su produžetak njegovih misli a ne njegovog tela.

Nema nijednog mišića koji ne zadrhti, nijednog pogleda koji skreće sa klavira, samo pažnja koju niko i ništa ne može da omete. Njegovo sviranje je samo u njegovim rukama. Svira u polusenci koja odgovara njegovoj introspekciji. Delo Aria variata all amaniera Italiana BWV 989 interpretirano je sa velikom uzdržanošću pianissima koja zahteva partitura a koja su poput čipke jasna, i retko precizna. Njegova je introspekcija u celini veoma slobodna, bez izveštačenosti.

Prvi deo resitala završen je Italijanskim koncertom BWV 971.

Kroz celi prvi stav, teme se umnožavaju, međusobno prepliću  a da pri tome jedna drugu ne ometaju. Nepogrešivom snagom umetnik nas sa uživanjem uvodi u Bahovo delo.

Drugi stav Italijanskog koncerta  Martinović donosi u laganom tempu, melanholično, odmarajući ali i intrigirajući pitanjima koje otvara.

Poslednji stav, Presto, u velikom zamahu, izveden je veštinom prstiju izuzetne sigurnosti kao dokazom istinske bravuroznosti. Sala Luksemburške banke koju karakteriše izuzetna akustičnost, naročito naglašava izvođenje Ratimira Martinovića, koje nas neobično podseća na zvuk Dinu Lipattia, koji je gotovo nemoguće oponašati a kome je Bah bio jedan od omiljenih kompozitora.

Nakon pauze, Rahmanjinov nas uvodi u jedan novi svet. Šest muzičkih momenata op. 16 se nižu nemerljivom superiornošću. Četvrti u nizu momenata tehnički najzahtevniji, Martinović donosi sa besprekornom virtuoznošću. Na čudesan način melodije Rahmanjinova zvuče u njegovim rukama, koje on oblikuje savršenom mirnoćom koja je svojstvena ovom umetniku. Martinović nam je poklonio pravog Rahmanjinova.

Oduševljena publika, traži bis koji nas je očarao jednostavnošću: Mocartom se završilo ovo veče tokom kojeg je luksemburški ljubitelj muzike upoznao jednog kompletnog umetnika kome sigurno predstoji briljantna karijera.

Suzanne Faber - Luxemburger Vort, November 2001.

Going out in a snowy and freezing night was a really small price for the pleasure offered by the first recital and first performance in Croatia of the 28 years old pianist Ratimir Martinović. This young man from Kotor left his native town as a talented child and moved to Novi Sad in order to continue and finish his music education in this famous Yugoslav pianist centre. Today, he is one of the youngest professors at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad.

TOUR INTRODUCTION

Regardless of the past circumstances, now in 2005 we can ask the question: Why wasn't he presented to us before? People who took part in organising this concert are Dragomir Pavićević, PhD and don Branko Sbutega. They invested their good will and effort in this concert. Sbutega's thoughts about Bach and Glenn Gould written in the concert's program offered an additional pleasure.

Mr Martinović has performed for the very first time this program in Zagreb and the same program he is going to perform in many other places. He has dedicated this program to the famous Canadian pianist Glenn Gould (1932 – 1982), his idol. The occasion was the 50th Anniversary of the first Gould’s recording of Bach Goldberg variations. Mr Martinović's admiration of Gould's work, from whom he has learnt a lot, was present in each rhythm of the program performed two nights ago in Lisinski. In the second part of the night, before starting the difficult and sublime task of performing Goldberg's variation, Mr Martinović has shown his pianist skills by performing Bach's Aria variata all maniera Italiana (BWV 989) and the extensive Sixth Partita in e-minor (BWV 830).
 
The fact that he is playing exactly as Gould, often hunchbacked, with his face submerged in piano isn’t an imitating posture. Similarly, he lifts highly his fingers above the keys when playing quiet parts of compositions.

FILIGREE'S ORNAMENTS

Being at times hunchbacked and completely engrossed is a sign of sincere artistic approach to Bach's genie. He looked as if he was trying to penetrate through the black and white cataract which hides the music metaphysics, never presented to people. All this was heard in Mr Martinović's gigantically powerful, but at the same time, sophisticated playing, in his shaping of filigree's ornaments and crystal clearness of Bach's quick parts as well as during long breaths and wide arches of the sang melodies. Even though the audience was clapping and asking for encore, Mr Martinović stayed loyal to the music tradition of not playing again after Goldberg's variation.  The only thing left to say here is Thank you for such a wonderful music gift from Montenegro and to warn all the Croatian music happenings' organisers of Ratimir Martinović, so that they bring him on our stages again in the nearest future.

Branimir Pofuk - Jutarnji list, 2005.

Energia, estro fantastico e raffinatezza che catturano il pubblico

Tempra artistica fuori del comune, Ratimir Martinović è dotato di tutta un rosa di qualità che vengono a costituire quella particolare e complessa struttura tecnico - umana - musicale che di un buon artigiano della tastiera ne fanno pure un interprete di alta qualità. Intelligenza musicale versatilissima, profonda e perspicace che gli permette di immergersi nel pensiero e gamma emozionale dei brani e compositori stilisticamnete e contenutisticamente più disparati, infondendo il fluido della vita in tutte le particelle del tessuto musicale specifico; un’energia mentale, psichica, emotiva, di pregnanza notevolissima che quasi per induzione gli consente, quasi sempre, di trasmettere e catturare fortemente l’attenzione del pubblico; una fantasia vivacissima oltre ad un tocco di grande raffinatezza, e il senso dell’esaltazione costruttiva ammirevolissima e pregnante.

Patrizia Venucci Merdo LA VOCE DEL POPOLO, 2005.