Phantasm, consort of violas

Would Bach have been surprised to see a consort of violas da gamba performing his keyboard works?

Tackling transcriptions of concertos, dances, and fugues by the Leipzig Cantor, the four viols of the international ensemble Phantasm take us on a harmonic adventure that Bach – himself no stranger to instrumental transcriptions  – would not have disavowed.

Each transcription is an invitation to express the subtlety of the viol, and to bring out the astonishing variety of characters, styles and emotions that underlie each piece.

Intimate, subtle and faithful to the Baroque spirit, Phantasm’s approach is a direct immersion into the mind of the German composer.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Ricercar a 3 , The Musical Offering,BWV 1079
Sinfonia No. 9 in F minor, Inventions, BWV 795
Fuga No. 5 in D major,The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 850
Praeludium and Fuga No. 24 in B minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 869
Fughetta supra: Allein Gott in der Höhe Clavier-Übung III, BWV 677
and other Inventions and excerpts from The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Clavier-Übung III

Ensemble Phantasm
Laurence Dreyfus, treble viol, direction
Emilia Benjamin, treble viol
Jonathan Manson, tenor viol
Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, bass viol