JAVS Spring 2025

1735, these works were thought lost for centuries until their rediscovery in 2015—a thrilling development for Baroque music enthusiasts. While prior recordings have focused on interpretations using viola da gamba or guitar, this album offers a fresh perspective by exploring the potential of these fantasies on a modern viola. Much like Telemann’s other fantasies, these pieces are a treasure trove of Baroque artistry, with movements that showcase contrasting characters, tempi, and moods. This diversity provides an excellent opportunity for performers to delve deeply into expressive phrasing and tonal variety, making them both a technical and musical challenge. In this recording, Misha Galaganov has created his own arrangement for solo viola, demonstrating the adaptability of these works to the modern instrument.

His thoughtful arrangement and skillful execution bring out the intricacies and subtleties of the music, highlighting its lyrical and virtuosic elements. Galaganov’s playing captures the essence of Baroque style while also leveraging the viola’s rich, sonorous tone, making a compelling case for these fantasies to become a staple of the viola’s repertoire. This album not only reimagines a historically significant composition but also enriches the Baroque repertoire available to modern violists. Galaganov’s interpretation breathes new life into these works, offering an inspiring listening experience and encouraging violists to explore these rediscovered treasures for themselves.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 41, No. 1, Spring 2025