Fantasie Georg Arzberger & Julian Riem

• August Hendrik Winding (1835 - 1899): Three Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 19:
• 1 Winding: Three Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 19: Allegro moderato 05:43
• 2 Winding: Three Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 19: Allegretto – Andantino semplice 05:02
• 3 Winding: Three Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 19: Vivace non troppo 05:38
• Johann Carl Eschmann (1826 - 1882): Two Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 9:
• 4 Eschmann: Two Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 9: Langsam – Schneller und sehr bewegt 05:07
• 5 Eschmann: Two Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 9: Romanze: Nicht zu langsam – Allegro 08:13
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Fantasiestücke for piano and clarinet, op. 73:
• 6 Schumann: Fantasiestücke for piano and clarinet, op. 73: Zart und mit Ausdruck 03:57
• 7 Schumann: Fantasiestücke for piano and clarinet, op. 73: Lebhaft, leicht 03:11
• 8 Schumann: Fantasiestücke for piano and clarinet, op. 73: Rasch und mit Feuer 03:56
• Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817 - 1890): Four Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 43:
• 9 Gade: Four Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 43: Andantino con moto 02:25
• 10 Gade: Four Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 43. Allegro vivace 02:10
• 11 Gade: Four Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 43. Ballade: Moderato 04:01
• 12 Gade: Four Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 43: Allegro molto vivace 03:00
• Carl Reinecke (1824 - 1910): Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 22:
• 13 Reinecke: Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 22: Allegretto 03:16
• 14 Reinecke: Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 22. Presto 03:20
• 15 Reinecke: Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 22: Deutscher Walzer: Molto moderato – Intermezzo: Allegro 05:11
• 16 Reinecke: Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, op. 22. Canon: Lento ma non troppo 03:26
• Total Runtime 01:07:36

Info for Fantasie

Fantasy inspires, fantasy opens doors, fantasy allows changes of perspective: "With fantasy, you can shape a completely new world language-wise, intellectually and musically. The composer creates the basic framework; we musicians fill this with our interpretation and aspire to take the listeners with us into this wonderful and fantastic world of music“, says Georg Arzberger. "All the works on this album are so-called 'Romantic character pieces'; they were inspired by poetry, experiences in nature or simply the current emotional state of the composer. So for me, finding each individual 'language' and the corresponding musical message of the pieces is the main goal of our album“, says Julian Riem.

The Fantasiestücke (Eng.: fantasy pieces) on this album take listeners along on a journey into very different and individual musical worlds. All the works reflect the Romantic desire to overcome the limits of this world and plunge into unique microcosms. Schumann's Fantasiestücke, a standard work of the clarinet literature that at the time it was written was already a source of inspiration for some of the other pieces on this album, takes centre stage on the recording.

Gade is known to have greatly respected Schumann; in a letter written during a stay in Copenhagen, for example, Clara Schumann told Robert: "Gade visited me today and went into raptures over you. He knows everything you have written and plays it all (as far as he can) himself."

So it is not at all far- fetched to see a direct connection to Schumann in Gade's Fantasiestücke. Reinecke, too, had a friendly relationship with Schumann and was a great champion of his works. Winding, who in his turn was a pupil of Reinecke and Gade, also contributed a work to this genre that has almost fallen into oblivion today although it was praised by his contemporaries. The charming Fantasiestücke by Eschmann, who can also be seen as belonging to Schumann's sphere, are heard even more rarely.

Georg Arzberger, clarinet
Julian Riem, piano

Georg Arzberger
born in Aichach, studied with Harald Harrer and Martin Spangenberg. Worked at the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper from 2006 to 2017, at first as acting principal clarinettist, then as principal clarinettist from 2016. Co-founder of the Musikfest Blumenthal in 2021 and since then its artistic director. Since 2019 professor for clarinet at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich.

Julian Riem
born in Munich, studied with Michel Béroff and Rudolf Buchbinder. He gives concerts regularly in major musical hubs in Europe, Asia and America as a soloist, chamber musician and Lied accompanist. Julian Riem has also been delighting the classical music world for many years in his partnership with the cellist Raphaela Gromes. His recordings have received several awards, including the German Record Critics' Award, the Opus Klassik and the Diapason d'or.

Booklet for Fantasie