The young Spanish harpsichordist Aarón Zapico has chosen compositions from Frescobaldi’s two famous books of toccatas for his first solo album for W & W. The selection of pieces ranges from vivacious dance tunes to delicately intimate and calm settings. One of Frescobaldi’s most famous pupils, the German Johann Jakob Froberger (1616-1667), is the other featured composer on the CD, showing the inseparable connectionbetween ‚ 'maestro’ and 'disciple’, yet two creative geniuses on their own. Froberger further developped and accomplished the genre of the keyboard suite, having its beginnings in Frescobaldi’s arrangements. Many of Froberger’s works, often inspired by incidents in his adventurous life, can be considered as early forms of programme music.
The touching Tombeau on the death of his friend Blancheroche closes an album dedicated to two masters whose influence on the following composer generations cannot be estimated highly enough. Aarón Zapico savours as interpreter the sound and technical possibilities on his instrument. Improvisation and variation let the scores become individually alive through the hands of the musician and this rich artistic ‘Phantasia’.
