Adolfo Fumagalli - Operatic Grand Fantasias (Ferdinando Zuddio)

Information

Composer: Adolfo Fumagalli

1. Gran Fantasia di Concerto sopra i motivi dell'opera La Sonnambula, Op. 14
2. Gran Fantasia Drammatica sopra i motivi della Lucia di Lammermoor, Op. 26
3. Gran Fantasia di Concerto su I Puritani, Op. 28
4. Gran Fantasia di Concerto su La Norma, Op. 30

Ferdinando Zuddio, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Da Vinci Classics

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Adolfo Fumagalli (1828–1856), born in Inzago near Milan, was a brilliant pianist, composer, and innovator celebrated in his lifetime as the “Paganini of the piano.” Admired for his extraordinary technique and imagination, he impressed audiences across Europe and was praised by Franz Liszt as a “first-rate pianist.” Despite his success, Fumagalli died prematurely of tuberculosis and soon fell into obscurity. His music, particularly the four Grandi Fantasie di Concerto (1848–1849), remains a remarkable example of 19th-century virtuoso pianism. Based on operas such as La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor, I Puritani, and Norma, these works transform operatic themes into highly personal, improvisatory fantasies enriched with chromaticism and elaborate ornamentation.

Italian pianist Ferdinando Zuddio is devoted to reviving rare and neglected Romantic repertoire, combining scholarly research with vivid interpretative insight. His approach to Adolfo Fumagalli’s music is rooted in careful study of 19th-century sources and performance practices, revealing the composer’s richness, theatricality, and expressive depth. Zuddio highlights the dramatic contrasts within these works, balancing technical precision with intense musical expression. His performances move fluidly between delicate bel canto lyricism and explosive, turbulent passages, demanding both virtuosity and imagination. Through this refined yet daring approach, Zuddio transforms Fumagalli’s fantasies into compelling, living works, demonstrating that the composer’s voice remains vibrant and relevant today.

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