Ries: Grande Sonata Fantasia "L'infortunée", Fantasies

Featuring

Gianluca Faragli
Ferdinand Ries

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Composition History

Ries's Grande Sonata Fantasia in F sharp minor, Op. 26, titled 'L'infortunée', was inspired by the sense of unhappiness he experienced during a difficult stay in Paris.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ries, like Beethoven, embraced the idea of freedom in music, striving to renew the Fantasy form to emphasize the effect of music caught in flight.

Composer Biography

Unlike Beethoven's relative seclusion, Ries was inclined to travel, with stays in Paris, St. Petersburg, and London, which likely accounted for his interest in musical exoticism.

Composer Biography

Ferdinand Ries, born in the same city as Beethoven, had a brilliant career as a virtuoso pianist, unlike Beethoven whose activities were curtailed by deafness.

Critical Reception

A London reviewer celebrated Ries as one of the finest piano performers of his day, noting his powerful hand, confident manner, and 'romantic wildness' in playing.

Performer Biography

Gianluca Faragli, the pianist on this album, has won over 30 national and international piano competitions, including the 23rd European Music Competition Città di Moncalieri.

Compositional Technique

In his Fantasie nach Schiller's Gedicht 'Resignation', Ries transcribed verses from Schiller's poem at the foot of every page of the score, an unheard-of procedure, to reflect the original words.