The European musical world changed around 1600. Instrumental music emerged as a genre in its own right; the tonal system developed to enrich harmonic possibilities; new forms like sonatas and suites proliferated; the ‘baroque’ was born.
The excitement of the new possibilities of purely instrumental pieces, freed from the dominance of vocal music, gave birth to the delightful Stylus fantasticus (Fantastic Style), which threw off traditional restraints and gave free rein to the composer’s invention.
The boundless energy and florid solo lines of this music are remarkable. Originality and richness of imagination were its hallmarks, displaying the genius of composers and performers. “It is dashing, virtuoso, exciting, changeable, and offers opportunities all round for free expression and improvisation” (Gramophone review).
This music speaks to today’s audiences. It’s good to see it emerging from obscurity.
Amsterdam-based Fantasticus recreate the gloriously virtuosic music that flourished from the early 17th century, relishing the extravagance that flourished once composers and instrumentalists dared to push back the established limits.
BBC Music Magazine described them as "a white-hot addition to the early music scene. Fantasticus by name; fantastic by nature!" .