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Ries: Grande Sonata Fantasia"l'Infortunee"; Fantasies

Piano Classics

$21.99 Sep 06, 2024

New recordings of large-scale but little-known works by one of Beethoven's most influential students. Born like his teacher-to-be in the German city of Bonn, Ferdinand Ries studied with Beethoven in Vienna for several years during the first decade of the 19th century. He also worked for Beethoven as a copyist and secretary, and in 1838, shortly before his own death at the age of 53, published the first authoritative account of his master's life. But Ries was far more than a mere amanuensis, as a series of releases on Brilliant Classics has documented, with valuable modern recordings of solo, chamber and instrumental music. Ries's own instrument was naturally the piano, and his catalogue of works for the instrument spans light-hearted miniatures and ambitiously scaled, dramatic sonatas, much as Beethoven's did. In the latter category falls the Grande Sonata Fantasia which Ries composed in 1811 (the same year as Beethoven's Seventh Symphony). It is easy enough to hear the turbulent textures and melodic shapes of his teacher's famous 'Pathetique' Sonata in the background, but Ries could exercise his own imagination, which in any case was shaped by travel far beyond the lands around Vienna, unlike Beethoven. The weight of the sonata's singular form falls on the huge Presto finale, making considerable demands on the artist, which Gianluca Faragli conquers with the aid of a superbly conditioned modern Fazioli piano. The sonata's designation as a 'fantasia' indicates that Ries was anticipating the Romantic era's preoccupation with personal expression as the over-riding concern of creative art, and Faragli has coupled Op.26 with three more fantasies. Two of them are based on themes from Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro': display pieces, but by no means frivolous, any more than the darker subject of Schiller's poem 'Resignation' which inspired Ries to compose one of his most inwardly affecting works, written in the south London suburb of Clapham in 1821. In a lighter vein, Faragli adds the gypsy-style Introduction and Rondo composed once Ries had returned to Vienna with his English wife and three children. Thus the album surveys the course of Ries's creative life, as the pianist Alessandro Taverna elucidates in a detailed booklet essay. - Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) was born in Bonn and moved to Vienna in 1801, where his life became closely related to that of Ludwig van Beethoven (also a native of Bonn.). Ries studied piano with him, copied his scores and was the interpreter of several new works, notably the premiere of the Third Piano Concerto. Ries also wrote the first biography of Beethoven, an invaluable source of first-hand information. - Ries' style inevitably is modeled on that of his master Beethoven, he was however strong enough to stand on his own. Ries also enjoyed a brilliant career as a virtuoso pianist. "Ries is rightly celebrated as one of the finest piano performers of the present day", a London reviewer declared. "His hand is powerful and his manner confident and often surprising. But it is his way of playing that makes him stand out from all the others, above all for his romantic wildness". - This new recording presents original piano works by Ries: the substantial "Grande Sonata Fantasia "L'Infortunee", Op.26, a Fantasia on Schiller's pem Resignation, a Fantasia on Mozart's Nozze Di Figaro and an exciting Introduction and Rondo Zingaresco. Music of great pianistic invention and instrumental brilliance! - Played by the young Italian pianist Gianluca Faragli on a modern instrument.

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Ries: Grande Sonata Fantasia"l'Infortunee"; Fantasies
Piano Classics Sep 2024
CD
$21.99

Fantaisie / Dufour, Huang

Cedille

$19.99 Oct 26, 2010

FANTAISIE • Mathieu Dufour (fl); Kuang-Hao Huang (pn) • ÇEDILLE 90000-121 (57:00)

FAURÉ Fantaisie. GAUBERT Fantaisie. HÜE Fantaisie. DOPPLER Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy. TAFFANEL Fantasy on Themes from Weber’s “Der Freischütz.” BORNE Fantaisie Brilliante on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen

Here are six pieces for flute and piano, all but one by French composers, and all titled “Fantaisie.” Yet except for Fauré, I’d have thought that not one of these composers would come up in conversation other than by flutists and flute fanciers. So I suppose I was a bit surprised to find a number of similarly programmed recitals including these composers and pieces reviewed in the Fanfare Archive.

A release covered in Fanfare 23:1 by John Lambert included the Fauré and Gaubert fantasies as well as a piece by Taffanel, though not his Fantaisie. Another CD, reviewed by Paul Ingram in 28:2, did include Taffanel’s Fantaisie as well as Borne’s. Still another disc reviewed by Lambert in 24:3 included both Borne’s and Hüe’s. And the one not-French composer in the mix here, Albert Franz Doppler, had his Fantaisie turn up on a release reviewed by Lambert in 21:5, which also contained the Borne. So it seems that none of these composers and their fantasies are as obscure as I imagined.

Anyone who knows the flute world is sure to recognize the name Mathieu Dufour. He was and is once again principal flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a post to which he was appointed at the age of 25 by Daniel Barenboim. The “was” happened during the 2010 season, when Dufour left his post in Chicago to join the Los Angeles Philharmonic on a trial basis. The marriage went sour, and he left abruptly, midseason, to return to Chicago where he’d been allowed to retain his post as a kind of dual citizen. The L.A. divorce was nasty, with some regrettable remarks made by Dufour about the Los Angeles orchestra quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times , remarks for which the flutist later apologized, insisting he’d been misquoted.

Kuang-Hao Huang, Dufour’s piano partner on the disc, is a well-known artist in the Chicago area. He pursues an active performing and teaching career, has concertized throughout the U.S. as well as in England, France, China, and South Korea, and collaborates regularly with chamber-music ensembles.

The works on the CD fall into two groups, plus one that falls into neither. The Fauré, Gaubert, and Hüe fantasies are virtuosic contest pieces written for the annual competitive concours examinations held by the Paris Conservatory. The Borne and Taffanel are examples of the popular 19th-century genre of opera paraphrases, which were written in great numbers—many by Liszt—to tunes from well-known operas of the day. The square peg in the round hole is Franz Doppler, both for being of Hungarian birth and for his Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy, which falls into neither of the above categories. The piece is presumed to be based on Hungarian folk melodies, which may have been manufactured by Doppler rather than borrowed from authentic sources. Doppler’s name rang a bell. It was something I’d read before. He was the composer who assisted Liszt in orchestrating some of his works when Liszt was first learning to orchestrate.

The two opera paraphrases are quite dazzling and not insignificant concert works in their own right. Taffanel mines Der Freischütz for gold and finds far more nuggets of the precious metal in Weber’s opera than I ever have. Borne’s Carmen Fantasy is, if anything, even more brilliant, as the “brilliante” in its title promises. Either Borne was the more technically adept flute master and imaginative composer, or Bizet’s music lends itself better to this sort of treatment than does Weber’s. Perhaps both propositions are true.

Exemplary playing in service to unfamiliar and entertaining music combines with excellent recording to make this a most recommendable release.

FANFARE: Jerry Dubins

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Fantaisie / Dufour, Huang
Cedille Oct 2010
CD
$19.99

Wagner: Siegfried Idyll - Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Th
Bridge Records May 1997
CD
$18.99

Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy; Impromptus / Viviana Sofronitsky

CAvi-music

$19.99 Apr 10, 2012

I greatly enjoyed Viviana Sofronitsky’s Mozart piano concertos (see review), and still dip into it on a fairly regular basis – always a positive sign that good first impressions have held up over the longer term. This Schubert recording uses an instrument by the same maker, with a fortepiano modelled on one by Conrad Graf (1819) built by Paul MacNulty. The remarkable variety of colours and textures available from this instrument is fully explored by Sofronitsky in the Wanderer Fantasie. From it she coaxes exquisitely delicate music-box soft moments, muffled tones and the kind of sharply observed dynamic drama which can become a little monotonous on a modern piano.

Melvyn Tan set the standard for fortepiano recordings in past decades, and his Virgin Veritas two disc survey of Schubert’s music, which includes the Impromptus D935 and D899, is still very much worth having. The EMI recording is a little gentler than the Avi-Music balance, with more distance between the listener and the instrument. Tan is more romantic in approach, allowing for more rubato and sustain where Sofronitsky is more direct. The first Impromptu D899 is a typical example, in which the articulation of the notes seems as important as the shaping of melodic lines and phrases to Sofronitsky. This is a challenge in its own right: who can we say is more accurate? Do we allow for more generosity of romantic spirit in music which still feels the pull of Mozart, or do we emphasise the classical in music which expresses emotion in the deepest ways available to but stretching the style and idiom of the day. Sofronitsky by no means plays without expression, but her articulation is more angular than most versions you will probably have heard until now. I could accuse her second Impromptu D899 of being too choppy and vertical sounding. Indeed there are passages where the repetitions seem to stack up rather than moving the musical narrative along. That said, the contrast of touch and the dramatic world created also have plenty to offer. The singing melody of the third Impromptu D899 provides an illusion of a sustained line on any piano. Sofronitsky carefully and effectively paces the movement so that this works as well as possible. Even so, the balance of melody is a mote too weak against the myriad accompanying notes though still sweeping along with fine and at times touching character. The last of the D 899 set is rather magical in its opening and closing bars, the lightness of touch – I take it with soft pedal – creating an ethereal atmosphere you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else, certainly not with Tan. The music comes into focus and advances as the effect is lifted, and the progression into the minor key is all the more dramatic for this extra layer of colouration.

The comments for D899 apply to a large extent also to the Impromptus D935. Sofronitsky obtains the maximum effect from the instrument. There are many aspects of these pieces which one can discover anew when hearing it on a fortepiano as opposed to a modern concert grand. You can tell the shading of light and dark in the first of the D935 set is exactly the effect Schubert would have had in mind, though the almost skipping tempo with which the second piece opens may or may not have been what he had in mind. Sofronitsky connects this with the dance rhythms which are the origins of the work. He seeks depth of expression in its brilliant contrasts of tonality and dynamic, rather than exploring artificial profundity in languor of tempo. The disarming melody of the third in this set is perhaps presented a little too heavily for my taste, though there is a marvel of difference in some of the variations which follow. The closing dance of no. 4 is lively and full of surprises.

Saving the best until last, it is the Wanderer Fantasie which impresses me most on this recording. Viviana Sofronitsky’s performance is one which fascinates at all levels. The anticipation of hearing how certain passages will sound on the MacNulty instrument is always rewarded with refreshing and unusual sonorities and tremendous inventiveness. Being a huge fan of Schubert’s piano sonatas and lieder I’ve been less keen on this work in general, but hearing the way it can sound on fortepiano and played so expertly has revived my interest more than somewhat. Schubert’s melodramatic writing makes absolute sense with this instrument, and the at times almost orchestral sounds which emanate clearly show how Schubert anticipates later generations and names such as Wagner, Berlioz and Liszt in his exploratory harmonic relationships and thematic developments. The difference between a pp and f or ff isn’t just soft or loud here, and the change in colour and texture between different moments is hard to describe in words. Take the bass line from 1:51 to 2:10 in the second movement Adagio, which has a driven, vocal quality as the dynamic increases. I find the personality which emerges from this kind of effect quite bewitching, and the entire piece comes alive in this version.

This recording probably won’t substitute your favourite concert grand performances, but if you still perceive listening to the fortepiano as a kind of hair-shirt experience then this disc should make you think again, though it does require decent equipment to bring the best of the subtleties of colour to the fore.

-- Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International

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Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy; Impromptus / Viviana Sofronitsky
CAvi-music Apr 2012
CD
$19.99

Flights Of Fantasy - Early Italian Chamber Music

Avie Records

$19.99 Sep 01, 2010

Think you know Italian baroque chamber music? Think again. The range, diversity - and even wackiness - is remarkable, as illustrated by Flights of Fantasy, an album of acute inventiveness by Avie stalwart Monica Huggett and the chamber soloists of her Irish Baroque Orchestra. Take Carlo Farina's Capriccio Stravagante, which translates as "outlandish whim", and imitates barking dogs, meowing cats and gunfire. More serious, but no less virtuosic, experimental forms occur in works by Marini, Castello, Legrenzi, and Cavalli - the Venetian best known for his operas - all heard on this album. Created in 1996, the period-instrument Irish Baroque Orchestra occupies a fundamental place in Ireland's musical landscape. Ten years in, the mantle of artistic director was assumed by Monica Huggett, who has created a decades-long career of critically acclaimed and award-winning recordings, including the Billboard chart-topping, Grammy-nominated Bach Orchestral Suites on Avie (AV 2171). critical acclaim for the Irish Baroque Orchestra and Monica Huggett "Nothing lacks from Sonnerie's playing, which is generously, beautifully judged for pace and attractively recorded ... classy" - Gramophone "fresh, lively, and full of spirit" - Classic FM CD of the Week, on Monica Huggett directing Bach Orchestral Suites (AV 2171) Irish Baroque Orchestra: Critics' Choice for the IBO's Masterworks Series, January 2010 - The Irish Times

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Flights Of Fantasy - Early Italian Chamber Music
Avie Records Sep 2010
CD
$19.99

FANTASYLAND

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

Vinyl

$44.99 Nov 07, 2025

Yu-Peng Chen - "Fantasyland" [Rose 2xLP] Yu-Peng Chen is the newest signing of the renowned classical label Deutsche Grammophon. Widely known for his hugely popular scores for the film and gaming worlds, in particular his richly melodic and stylistically multifaceted soundtracks for the open-world role-playing game Genshin Impact, Yu-Peng Chen presents an extended version of his 2024 album FANTASYLAND, featuring 15 tracks. 2 LP set on rose colored vinyl.

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FANTASYLAND
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Nov 2025
Vinyl
$44.99

Fantasies for Bassoon
Chandos Oct 2011
CD
$21.99

FANTASIAS FOR VIOLA DA GAMBA

Centaur Records

$17.99 Oct 15, 2021

Musicians have long known about the existence of Telemann's Fantasias for viola da gamba, but until very recently no surviving copies had ever been located. Fortunately a single print edition was identified by two musicologists in the Lower Saxony State Archive in Germany. In 2016 these important pieces were at last presented to the world in a modern edition which includes a complete facsimile of the original print. John Dornenburg has made numerous recordings for Centaur Records. After many years based in San Francisco, he is now based in the U.K.

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FANTASIAS FOR VIOLA DA GAMBA
Centaur Records Oct 2021
CD
$17.99

12 FANTASIAS FOR SOLO FLUTE
Da Camera Jan 2012
CD
$20.99

Mignone: Fantasias Brasileiras Nos. 1-4

Naxos

$19.99 Sep 12, 2025

Francisco Mignone became a leading figure in the Brazilian music scene after his return in 1929 following lengthy studies in Europe. His four Fantasias Brasileiras for piano and orchestra are part of his nationalist phase, with the first in the cycle initiated by soloist Joao de Souza Lima, who asked Mignone for a work with Brazilian flavour. These works share a festive and exuberant style to which the composer would return in his Burlesca e Toccata, which requires acrobatic virtuosity from the soloist in music that surprises by juxtaposing atonality with popular themes.

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Mignone: Fantasias Brasileiras Nos. 1-4
Naxos Sep 2025
CD
$19.99

C.P.E. Bach: Fantasias / Häkkinen

Brilliant Classics

$10.99 ~~$13.99~~ Save 20% May 26, 2023

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was widely known for his passionate, incomparable improvisations on the clavichord, most characteristically in the form of free fantasia. His compositions were unique in style, full of contrasts, and universally admired by several generations; the Vienna Classicists, even Beethoven and Schubert, considered him their musical father. Declamatory, improvisatory style is of course the epitaph of all 18th-century music – exemplified in Johann Sebastian Bach's Chromatic Fantasia BWV903, with its central recitative and broken chords audaciously passing through distant harmonies. Johann Nikolaus Forkel, author of the first Bach biography and part of C.P.E. Bach’s literary circles, transmitted a refined version in his manuscript (P 212) and subsequent edition that may derive from a revised original version once in possession of the Bach sons. C.P.E. Bach’s Fantasia in C minor (published in 1753) bears distinct similarities to his father’s Fantasia chromatica, and it has been suggested that it may in fact have been a tombeau to the elder Bach. The deep personal nature and connection between the two works is explicit. For Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and the ‘Bachists’, the most expressive and intimate compositions were reserved for the clavichord. It was in the clavichord that one might ‘find the soundboard of your heart. … Have no regrets when alone under the moonlight you improvise, or refresh your soul on a summer night, or when you celebrate a spring evening; ah! then pine not for the strident harpsichord. See, your clavichord breathes as gently as your heart.’ (Ch.F.D. Schubart: Musikalische Rhapsodien III, 1786) Charles Burney, who visited C.P.E. Bach in Hamburg in 1772, described the composer improvising at his legendary clavichord, built by Gottfried Silbermann: ‘He grew so animated and possessed that he not only played but looked like one inspired. His eyes were fixed, his lower lip fell, and drops of effervescence distilled from his countenance.’ The original 18th-century instruments heard on this recording – from Regensburg, Stockholm and Vienna – demonstrate possibilities the like of which would have been known to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in Berlin and Hamburg and ultimately derive from the Saxon school of G. Silbermann.

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C.P.E. Bach: Fantasias / Häkkinen
Brilliant Classics May 2023
CD
~~$13.99~~ $10.99

BUSONI, F.: Fantasia contrappuntistica / LISZT, F.: Mephisto
Centaur Records Jan 1989
CD
$18.99

Fantasia - Music for Trumpet & Organ

Chandos

$21.99 Sep 19, 2025

Matilda Lloyd and Richard Gowers, recital partners for more than a decade, present a diverse programme of music for trumpet and organ. Transcriptions of baroque works are interspersed with four world-premiere recordings of new works by British composers commissioned for the album. Matilda writes: 'Welcome to our world of Fantasia - an imaginative exploration of the long-established combination of trumpet and organ. Featuring five types of trumpet in seven different keys and the newly refurbished organ of the Abbey Church at Waltham Abbey, this album explores a myriad of sounds that will ignite the imagination and enchant the ear!'

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Fantasia - Music for Trumpet & Organ
Chandos Sep 2025
CD
$21.99

Bach: Italian Concerto & French Overture in B Minor
Bridge Records Feb 2006
CD
$18.99

Fantasia / Golan

Centaur Records

$8.99 ~~$17.99~~ Save 50% Aug 06, 2021

Lawrence Golan's Fantasia for Solo Violin, written in 1993, was inspired by Ysaye's sonatas of 1924, which, in turn, were inspired by the unaccompanied violin works of J.S. Bach, dated 1720. Hence this recording represents the inspirational lineage of a composition spanning almost three centuries. Acclaimed for his vibrant, inspired performances, imaginative programming and evocative command of different styles and composers, American conductor Lawrence Golan has developed a reputation as a dynamic, charismatic communicator. He has conducted throughout the United States and in Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, El Salvador, England, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and continues to develop relationships with orchestras nationally and abroad.

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Fantasia / Golan
Centaur Records Aug 2021
CD
~~$17.99~~ $8.99

Christopher Brown: 24 Preludes & Fugues / Williamson

Lyrita

$32.99 Mar 01, 2024

I set myself the challenge of writing a book of 24 preludes and fugues in all the major and minor keys and I approached family, friends, and several institutions I had been associated with, to commission a prelude and fugue each, with many of the resultant commissioners asking for references to pieces of music that had a special meaning for them, a request that I tried to follow through wherever possible. Within a very short space of time, I realised just what a task I had set myself. The project took me 8 years to complete, and it was not until 2019 that I finally put the finishing touches to the concluding B minor Fugue. The score was published on my birthday in June 2020 and I received an unexpected email from Nathan Williamson, saying that he would love to learn the music, and, because of the restrictions imposed by the covid lockdowns, it might be a good time to see if a complete recording might be contemplated. To our considerable delight, Lyrita Recorded Edition agreed to take on the project that has led to the release of the present boxed set. Very early in the planning process I had decided that the set would be divided into 4 books (each made up of 6 preludes and fugues) based around one of the notes of the name BACH (B flat, A, C and B natural in German notation), and starting and ending in the major or the minor tonality of the 4 keys. In addition I wanted to reference the cryptogram of Dmitri Shostakovich (DSCH – D, E flat, C and B), whose own masterly set of 24 Preludes and Fugues also casts its influence across my set.
Christopher Brown

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Christopher Brown: 24 Preludes & Fugues / Williamson
Lyrita Mar 2024
CD
$32.99

FANTASIAS, TOCCATAS & VAR.

Linn Records

$20.99 Nov 08, 2019

Following his acclaimed Linn debut, One Byrde in Hande, Richard Egarr turns to the music of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck for his new recording of fantasias, toccatas and variations. As well as being a notable composer Sweelinck was a skilled improviser and keyboard virtuoso whose knowledge of the stylistic innovations of his English contemporaries, such as Byrd and Morley, was evident in his work. Egarr performs on a harpsichord designed after Ruckers (1638); it's strict ¼-comma meantone tuning highlights the amazing chromaticism present in Sweelinck's music. This is particularly evident in the famous Fantasia Crommatica, a highly improvisatory, boundary-pushing work that showcases many of Sweelinck's innovations in keyboard composition. Within his lifetime Sweelinck was most celebrated for his variations on the popular tune Mein junges Leben hat ein Endt; Egarr relishes the intricate counterpoint which builds from the simple theme into a masterpiece of inexhaustible invention and limitless variety. A selection of fantasias and toccatas complete the programme in which Egarr's passion for the harpsichord and Sweelinck's music are enthusiastically conveyed.

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FANTASIAS, TOCCATAS & VAR.
Linn Records Nov 2019
CD
$20.99

Kurpiński, Moniuszko & Noskowski: Works for String Quartet / Lutosławski Quartet

Naxos

$9.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 50% Jun 23, 2023

Providing an overview of almost a century, this album reflects the aspirations of Polish nationalism through the works of three pivotal figures: Karol Kurpinski, whose Fantasy for String Quartet is both serious and ingenious in design, Zygmunt Noskowski, whose witty piece on a theme of Viotti includes the use of a polacca, and Stanislaw Moniuszko, whose quartets balance the hymnal with the rustic.

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Kurpiński, Moniuszko & Noskowski: Works for String Quartet / Lutosławski Quartet
Naxos Jun 2023
CD
~~$19.99~~ $9.99

Schubert: Rarities and Short Piano Works / Waleczek

Naxos

$9.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 50% Aug 27, 2021

Among Schubert’s compositions are rare and overlooked works for solo piano that reflect staging posts of his short compositional life. As a boy he had studied with Salieri who almost certainly encouraged him to explore contrapuntal techniques in 1812 – the fugues and fugal expositions he wrote are testament to his secure grounding in the form. Schubert’s admiration for Mozart is clear in the Fantasy in C minor, while the substantial Two Scherzi, D. 593 show early mastery. Also included is the Allegro in E major, Schubert’s first, unfinished attempt at a piano sonata. Pianist Wojciech Waleczek recorded Liszt’s Harmonies poétiques etreligieuses, Vol. 53 of the Complete Piano Music series on 8.573773.Gramophone wrote: ‘He is sufficiently technically equipped to allow his imagination full flight. He has a strong dramatic instinct and brings a sense of proportion when Liszt grows discursive. Perhaps most importantly, Waleczek conveys an aura of rapture to this music.’

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Schubert: Rarities and Short Piano Works / Waleczek
Naxos Aug 2021
CD
~~$19.99~~ $9.99

Lupo: Fantasia / Fretwork

Signum Classics

$19.99 May 13, 2022

Winner of a Gold award from Diapason Magazine!

Fretwork explores the somewhat overlooked English musical dynasty. The grandson of an Italian immigrant family brought to England under Henry VIII's reign, Thomas Lupo (1571-1627) was a talented composer, viol player and violinist who served in the Royal Court from the age of 16 until his death. His consort music for viols demonstrates a variety of moods and musical devices, with a clear parallel in places to some of the three-part music by his friend and colleague Orlando Gibbons.

In 2021, Fretwork celebrated its 35th anniversary. In the past three and a half decades they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. In addition to this, Fretwork have become known as pioneers of contemporary music for viols, having commissioned over 40 new works. The list of composers is like the roll call of the most prominent writers of our time: George Benjamin, Michael Nyman, Sir John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, Elvis Costello, Alexander Goehr, John Woolrich, Orlando Gough, Fabrice Fitch, Peter Sculthorpe, Sally Beamish, Tan Dun, Barry Guy, Andrew Keeling, Thea Musgrave, Simon Bainbridge, Poul Ruders, John Joubert, Duncan Druce and Nico Muhly. The group now frequently presents programmed consisting entirely of contemporary music.

REVIEW

Thomas Lupo was one of the earlier exponents of the viol consort as well as being a violinist. He came from a musical family which was first brought to England by Henry VIII to enhance his court music. The Lupo family, like others which came over at this time were Sephardic Jews, probably from Portugal.

This is a delightful collection of pieces. They are very varied in their moods. Some are playful and fast moving, such as 2, 8, 10 and 14. Some are slow and melancholy, such as 5, 13 and 15, and some show sudden changes in mood such as 13 and 17. The scoring also varies, from three to six instruments, and even when Lupo scores for only thee instruments, they can be any combination of treble, tenor and bass. He can rejoice in a rich texture with only three instruments, as in 5, or be lighthearted with five or six instruments, as in 8, 14 and 18. Curiously, the richest sound he likes comes from five rather than six instruments, so that 3, for example, sounds positively Brahmsian.

Fretwork, who play here, are one of the two leading viol consorts of our times, the other being Phantasm. I tend to find Fretwork rather plainer in their music-making, and possibly closer to how these pieces would have been played at the time. Phantasm tend to be more nuanced, even perfumed, and closer to the style of more recent chamber music. Both are valid. Fretwork here play with evident enjoyment and the recording is good.

Although Lupo turns up fairly frequently on mixed programmes, this is only the second disc dedicated to him that I am aware of. The other is a 1996 disc by The English Fantasy on ASV Gaudeamus. That offers a rather similar programme but it has been long deleted so Fretwork currently have the field to themselves. Fans of viol consorts need no encouragement; others would find this a good place to start.

--MusicWeb International (Stephen Barber)

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Lupo: Fantasia / Fretwork
Signum Classics May 2022
CD
$19.99

Chapi, R.: Symphony in D Minor / Fantasia Morisca

Naxos

$19.99 Nov 18, 2008

Ruperto Chapi composed theatrical and chamber music, opera and symphonic pieces, including the two early works on this disc. Originally composed in 1873 as a suite for military band, Fantasia morisca was revised six years later for full orchestra.

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Chapi, R.: Symphony in D Minor / Fantasia Morisca
Naxos Nov 2008
CD
$19.99

Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue, Fantastic Dances

Brilliant Classics

$14.99 Apr 30, 2026

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) composed two piano concertos that stand as strikingly different yet complementary reflections of his evolving musical and emotional world. The Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor, Op. 35 (1933), written for piano, trumpet, and string orchestra, is a work of youthful brilliance and wit. Shostakovich himself was the soloist at it's premiere, showcasing his virtuosity and sharp humor. The concerto brims with parody, irony, and stylistic playfulness-traits that would define much of his music. The first movement alternates between dramatic, driving passages and cheeky references to classical motifs. The second movement offers a surprisingly lyrical, melancholic interlude before the music veers back into high-spirited satire. The inclusion of the trumpet, often acting as a witty commentator or foil to the piano, adds to the concerto's sense of mischievous dialogue. Beneath the humor, however, lies an undercurrent of anxiety and intensity, reflecting Shostakovich's growing awareness of the political pressures surrounding Soviet artists in the 1930s. The Piano Concerto No.2 in F major, Op. 102 (1957), by contrast, is lighter, more transparent, and more optimistic. Written as a gift for his son Maxim's 19th birthday, it is among Shostakovich's most accessible works. The outer movements sparkle with energy and joy, evoking the vitality of youth, while the slow movement stands as one of the composer's most beautiful lyrical statements-a tender, introspective melody that has become a concert favorite. Although less satirical and complex than the First Concerto, the Second demonstrates Shostakovich's mastery of clear form, elegant orchestration, and emotional directness. Giuseppe Andaloro (Palermo, 1982) is one of the most acclaimed Italian pianists of his generation. Winner of prestigious international competitions-including the Ferruccio Busoni (Bolzano), London World, Sendai, Hong Kong, and Porto-he was awarded the Medal for Artistic Merit by the Italian Ministry of Culture in 2005. He has performed in some of the world's leading venues: Teatro alla Scala and Sala Verdi in Milan, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Royal Festival Hall in London, Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo, Esplanade in Singapore, and Concert Hall in Hong Kong. He has appeared at renowned festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, Ruhr Piano Festival, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, George Enescu Festival, Ravello Festival, and Beirut Al Bustan. As soloist, he has collaborated with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Tokyo), Philharmonische Camerata Berlin, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, under the direction of conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gianandrea Noseda, and Andrew Parrott.

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Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue, Fantastic Dances
Brilliant Classics Apr 2026
CD
$14.99

Mix & Match

Busoni: Piano Music, Vol. 13 - Prelude & Fugue in C Minor; M

Naxos

$13.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 30% Nov 22, 2024

Volume 13 is the final instalment in Wolf Harden's series of Busoni's piano music, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the composer's death in 2024. It features selections from the multi-volume Klavierubung ('Piano Exercise') as well as some early miniatures, and more.

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Busoni: Piano Music, Vol. 13 - Prelude & Fugue in C Minor; M
Naxos Nov 2024
CD
~~$19.99~~ $13.99

Schubert

Berlin Classics

$24.99 Aug 09, 2024

Discover the timeless beauty of Franz Schubert's music with this double album. This compilation showcases some of his finest works for piano four hands, composed during his final years. Be enchanted by the Fantasy in F minor, the powerful "Lebenssturme," the Fugue in E minor, and the gentle Rondo in A major. Experience the impressive "Grand Duo" and the exquisite Variations in A-flat major from the summer of 1824. Immerse yourself in the emotional depth and human drama that Schubert masterfully captures like no other - a true treasure trove of piano artistry.

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Schubert
Berlin Classics Aug 2024
CD
$24.99

Bridge: Piano Trio No 2, Phantasie Trio, Miniatures / Wass, Liebeck, Chaushian

Naxos

$19.99 Feb 24, 2009

BRIDGE Piano Trios: No. 1, “Phantasie”; No. 2. Miniatures: Set 1; Set 2; Set 3 • Ashley Wass (pn); Jack Liebeck (vn); Alexander Chaushian (vc) • NAXOS 8.570792 (72:47)

The half-hour Bridge Second Trio (1929) is one of the best things he ever wrote, some of the very strongest British chamber music of its time, along with Bridge’s own last two quartets. The opening is unforgettably bleak, and a ripe expressionist drama unfolds. It is not as “advanced” as the music Webern and Schoenberg were writing 20 years earlier, yet at the same time it almost prefigures Shostakovich. Sound here is very good, and the playing has great commitment, concentration, and fleetness of foot. But the very stiff competition includes a live 1963 version with Britten, Menuhin, and Gendron, as well as a fine, cheap Helios disc.

Compared to the Trio No. 2, the rest of the CD offers salon music. The “Phantasie” Trio is much like the other Cobbett Prize-winning pieces by various composers, and it sounds faded to my ears, though these players give it everything. The Miniatures are slight character studies in late-19th century style, but they may be the disc’s main selling point for Bridge collectors. The Dussek Trio’s 1995 version is good, but these Naxos players make a strong case for the Miniatures , and the sound is better. This performance of the Second Trio won’t disappoint you either, if you get the Naxos disc for the other repertoire; though if you already have the Lyrita or Helios recordings, rest easy. If you have no Bridge Second Trio, do get the Britten version on BBC, even if you buy none of the other CDs. The new disc is highly recommended to admirers of the composer—two different composers, really, early and late, as this CD vividly demonstrates.

FANFARE: Paul Ingram

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Bridge: Piano Trio No 2, Phantasie Trio, Miniatures / Wass, Liebeck, Chaushian
Naxos Feb 2009
CD
$19.99