Fantasy

In 1991, composers Elena Firsova and Dmitri Smirnov were amongst a small group of composers, including Sofia Gubaidulina, who were blacklisted in Russia. Firsova and Smirnov fled the country with their two young children and took refuge in the UK. Since then, their daughter, Alissa Firsova, now 31, has risen to become one of the most notable stars of the new composing generation working in Britain. This thought-provoking, colorful collection from one of today's most individual young composers presents eight of Alissa Firsova's notable compositions, including her substantial string quartet of 2016, quot;Tennyson Fantasyquot;, commissioned by the Tippett Quartet; two works for clarinet and piano - brilliantly performed by their dedicatee, Mark van de Wiel; the clarinet Quintet quot;Lossquot;; two sizeable vocal works on the theme of quot;Paradise on Earthquot;, with the demanding soprano part in quot;Here in Canisyquot; effortlessly despatched by soprano Ellie Laugharne, and bass-baritone Nicholas Crawley making a fine recording debut in quot;Unityquot;; the collection closes with cellist Tim Hugh's effortless performance of Firsova's 2014 quot;Fantasyquot; for cello and piano.