W. A. Mozart: Fantasy And Sonata In C Minor For Piano K.475/457
Fantasy and Sonata in C Minor are essentially two separate works but are invariably performed as part of a set, having originally been paired together by the composer, in what was an unusual coupling of works. The formal freedom of the fantasia allowed Mozart to create a particularly expressive example of keyboard music that is in stark contrast to the limitations of the more traditional forms. The Fantasia in C Minor K.475 unfolds in four parts, each change of tempo signalling the introduction and development of new material. It is a wonderful and pleasing work, with an unmistakable improvisational undertone, that draws on Mozart’s most inventive and creative talents, displaying his supreme and consummate ability as composer and pianist. Sonata in C Minor K.457 , as is typical of his compositions in C minor, is a personal work but not sombre or morose as there is intensity and a sense of drama. A moving and expressive work that is accentuated by the preceding Fantasia. Published within the Signature Series , a series of authoritative performing editions of standard keyboard works prepared from original sources by leading scholars including informative introductions and performance notes and forms part of the ABRSM syllabus.
