BBC Music Magazine: 5 Stars.
This album showcases virtuosic 19th-century flute repertoire, featuring works by Paul Taffanel, Giulio Briccialdi, Fryderyk Chopin, Antonio Bazzini, and François Borne. These compositions, originally written or adapted for flute and piano, celebrate the instrument’s agility, brilliance, and expressive range.
Taffanel’s *Fantaisie sur Le Freischütz* and *Grande Fantaisie sur Mignon* are dazzling operatic paraphrases that capture the drama and lyricism of Weber and Thomas. Briccialdi’s *Il Carnevale di Venezia* is a brilliant theme and variations on the famous Venetian melody, highlighting the flute’s virtuosic capabilities. Chopin’s *Variations on a Theme by Rossini* offers a rare glimpse into his early work for the instrument. Bazzini’s *La Ronde des Lutins*, originally for violin, is a whirlwind scherzo transcribed for flute. Borne’s *Fantaisie brillante sur Carmen* is one of the most celebrated flute showpieces, based on Bizet’s opera.
Performed by Sharon Bezaly and Ervin Nagy, this recording brings to life the golden age of flute music, where operatic influences and instrumental fireworks merge into dazzling, expressive performances.
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