A sonata follows fixed rules; it stands for order and system. A fantasia, on the other hand, is the epitome of freedom; the music develops from the bold flight of thoughts. Beethoven wanted to transcend these boundaries. He called his E-flat major Sonata, Op. 27, no. 1, Sonata quasi una fantasia. This hybrid form inspired a passionate response from the following generation. Mendelssohn and Schumann initially referred to the two works that András Schiff has selected for his enigmatic program as sonatas, before deciding on the title fantasy. Why? The two Romantic composers and friends were interested in the gestures of improvisation, with its sweeping harmonies and radical subjectivity — just as Mozart had done in his three-movement C minor Fantasy. Or Bach, who combined his bold Chromatic Fantasy with the strictest of all compositional principles, a fugue. Haydn, on the other hand, brought whimsical humor into play: his C major Fantasy rushes ahead until it suddenly breaks off, as if the thread has been lost. András Schiff, a philosopher at the piano and a nuanced interpreter, dares to bridge the gap between anarchy and adherence to rules.
