Fantasy Alissa Firsova

• Alissa Firsova (1986- ):
• 1 Tennyson Fantasy, Op. 36: I. Come Down, O Maid, from Yonder Mountain Height 06:51
• 2 Tennyson Fantasy, Op. 36: II. Ring Out, Wild Bells, to the Wild Sky 05:31
• 3 Tennyson Fantasy, Op. 36: III. If Sleep and Death Be Truly One 09:54
• 4 Bride of the Wind, Op. 34 10:24
• 5 Expressions, Op. 9: No. 1, Eternity 02:10
• 6 Expressions, Op. 9: No. 2, Awaiting 01:23
• 7 Loss, Op. 10 06:40
• 8 Here in Canisy, Op. 22 08:31
• 9 Unity, Op. 26 09:35
• 10 Fantasy, Op. 29 08:11
• Total Runtime 01:09:10

Info for Fantasy

In 1991, composers Elena Firsova and Dmitri Smirnov were amongst a small group of composers, including Sofia Gubaidulina, 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 aged 31, has risen to become one of the most notable stars of the new composing generation working in Britain.

This thought-provoking, colourful 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, “Tennyson Fantasy”, commissioned by the Tippett Quartet; two works for clarinet and piano – brilliantly performed by their dedicatee, Mark van de Wiel; the clarinet Quintet “Loss”; two sizeable vocal works on the theme of “Paradise on Earth”, with the demanding soprano part in “Here in Canisy” effortlessly despatched by soprano Ellie Laugharne, and bass-baritone Nicholas Crawley making a fine recording debut in “Unity”; the collection closes with cellist Tim Hugh’s effortless performance of Firsova’s 2014 “Fantasy” for cello and piano.

Recorded in world-class new recording venue, Alpheton New Maltings, demonstrating its exceptional acoustic of striking clarity and warmth.

Tippett Quartet (on tracks 1-3, 7)
Simon Mulligan, piano (on track 4)
Mark van de Wiel, clarinet (on track 5-7)
Tim Hugh, cello (on track 10)
Ellie Laugharne, soprano (on track 8)
Nicholas Crawley, bass-baritone (on track 9)
Alissa Firsova, piano (on tracks 4-6, 8-10)

Alissa Firsova
is a British-Russian pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist she gave her Wigmore Hall and Proms debuts in 2009 and has appeared in Dartington, Cheltenham, Presteigne, Messiaen at Southbank, Fuerstensaal Classix and Seattle festivals as well as numerous concert venues throughout UK, Germany, Holland, France, Turkey, Portugal, Switzerland and the US. She has enjoyed collaborations with distinguished artists such as Stephen Kovacevich, Tim Hugh, Roman Simovic, Andrew Marriner, Julius Berger and the Dante Quartet. Her debut solo piano CD, Russian Emigres, was released in Aug 2015 on Vivat with music by Rachmaninov, her parents and herself.Since winning the BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer competition in 2001, she has received two world premieres at the Proms, both conducted by Andrew Litton: her Bach Allegro was performed by the RPO in 2010 and her Bergen’s Bonfire Op. 31 featured in the Bergen Philharmonic’s 250th Anniversary Prom in 2015. Her music was also performed by Imogen Cooper, Henning Kraggerud, Tim Hugh, Julius Berger, Dante Quartet, Netherlands Blazer Ensemble, Seattle Chamber Players, Xenia Ensemble, Philharmonia Soloists, Northwest Sinfonietta, Interface Quartet, Tana Quartet and Britten Sinfonia. She was recently invited to Verbier, Asiago and Conques Festivals as composer-in-residence and her music is recorded on CD by Henning Kraggerud and The Sixteen.After completing the postgraduate conducting course at Royal Academy of Music under Colin Metters, Alissa had her triple-debut with the English Chamber Orchestra as director, composer and conductor at the Cadogan Hall in 2013. In 2015 she conducted the Camerata RCO in the world premiere of her Le Soleil de Conques Op. 33.Alissa is very grateful for the generous support from L’Association des Amis de Canisy, the Zvi and Ofra Meitar foundation and Mediatec Limited.

Booklet for Fantasy