J. S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor is one of his most enduring works, but its origins remain a mystery. The free style of the Toccata is reminiscent of baroque violin writing. The fugue, on the other hand, is more typical of the north German style derived from Buxtehude, particularly with its quasi-improvisatory ending.
Johann Ludwig Krebs was a pupil of J. S. Bach and took up the court organist position at the great Trost organ of Altenburg Castle, which survives to this day. His Fantasia in F minor is one of his best-known works, originally score for oboe.
Richard Barnard’s Fantasia at the Borders of Sleep is one of four commissions by today’s performers for an upcoming disc ‘Fantasia’, which programmes the baroque fantasia genre alongside contemporary works.
This is followed by Bach’s great Prelude and Fugue in A minor for organ, which combines the north German style with a fugue subject that is reminiscent of Vivaldi.
Giovanni Battista Martini was a Franciscan friar from Italy who acted as a mentor to Mozart. Based in Bolgona, he was internationally revered as a teacher and wrote an extensive catalogue of church music.
American omposer Amy Beach wrote over a hundred songs, of which her Op. 19 are some of the best known.
Contemporary composer Deborah Pritchard writes Seven Halts on the Somme is written after the paintings by artist Hughie O’Donoghue that depict seven stopping points for the British Army along the Somme in 1914. It not only engages with the historical theme, but is also a synaesthetic response to the vibrant colours of the images.”
Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse is an impressionist reflection on the painting The Embarkation for Cythera by Jean-Antoine Watteau, with Debussy depicting a group visiting the island of Aphrodite’s birthplace.
Slavische Fantasie (Slavonic Fantasy) was written in 1899 for the cornet virtuoso Franz Werner. The work alternates between vocal lyricism and highly demanding technical passages for the soloist.
George Gershwin’s Three Preludes for piano demonstrate his mastery of smaller forms, and were premiered in New York in 1926.
Richard Gowers 2024