The youngest cellist ever to win the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Zlatomir Fung presents his solo debut album with pianist Richard Fu featuring six fantasies on themes from opera, including fantasies on melodies from Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, Rossini’s William Tell, Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Additionally, the album features Fantasy on Jenůfa which Fung arranged himself, and a Fantasia Carmèn, written especially for him by composer Marshall Estrin. After extensive research Fung found these fantasies for cello used recognizable tunes from famous operas to create a free medley and that there are few rules beyond the pure expression of the composer’s personality, interests, and strengths as a cellist. Following his Tchaikovsky competition win, the 25-year-old cellist has garnered acclaim for his performances around the world and has become widely recognized as one of the preeminent cellists of our time.
It’s cello at the opera without a single Mozart-Beethoven variation in sight. There are stock 19th-century virtuosic fantasias on Rossini and Donizetti, but the album starts with the halting, speech-like pace of Janáček’s Jenůfa – not easy to turn into a coherent instrumental, but Fung’s arrangement more than ties the drama together. The final Fantasia Carmèn of Marshall Estrin has a meta take on opera fantasies, though I’d love a version without the spoken commentary! Fantastic subtle playing all round.
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