As an internationally admired opera composer, William Vincent Wallace was perfectly placed to provide brilliant fantasies and paraphrases from the operatic repertoire, refashioned for the domestic piano market. He did not neglect his own works—there is an especially lovely aria from his opera Lurline, as well as an extensive fantasia on themes from Maritana, perhaps his best-known work. His instinct for the perfect transformation also included such favourites as Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves and Donizetti’s Una furtiva lagrima. Rosemary Tuck’s playing of Wallace has been acclaimed for her “ideally deft and scintillatingly assured performances.” (Gramophone). The legendary scholar and conductor Richard Bonynge performs at the piano on two of the tracks.
1 Verdi - Fantaisie Brillante Sur Des Motifs de L'opera la Traviata 00:11:33
2 Bellini - Fantaisie de Salon Sur L'opera la Sonnambula 00:06:15
3 Donizetti - Fantaisie de Salon Sur L'opera Lucia Di Lammermoor 00:04:52
4 Verdi - Nabucco: Va Pensiero, "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" 00:04:37
5 Donizetti - Variations Brillantes Sur la Barcarolle de L'opera L'elisir D'amore 00:08:02
6 Verdi - Rigoletto: Bella Figlia Dell'amore 00:04:30
7 Lurline: The Night Winds 00:04:33
8 Donizetti - Fantaisie de Salon Sur Des Themes de L'opera Don Pasquale 00:06:01
9 Grande Fantaisie Sur Des Themes de L'opera Maritana 00:13:10
10 Halevy - Grande Duo Sur L'opera L'eclair 00:14:41
As an internationally admired opera composer, William Vincent Wallace was perfectly placed to provide brilliant fantasies and paraphrases from the operatic repertoire, refashioned for the domestic piano market. He did not neglect his own works—there is an especially lovely aria from his opera Lurline, as well as an extensive fantasia on themes from Maritana, perhaps his best-known work. His instinct for the perfect transformation also included such favourites as Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves and Donizetti’s Una furtiva lagrima. Rosemary Tuck’s playing of Wallace has been acclaimed for her “ideally deft and scintillatingly assured performances.” (Gramophone). The legendary scholar and conductor Richard Bonynge performs at the piano on two of the tracks.
