Malcolm Arnold’s 1971 Fantasy for Guitar was written for Julian Bream and is among seven fantasies for solo instruments he composed. The Fantasy is cast in seven unbroken movements: Prelude, Scherzo, Arietta, Fughetta, Arietta, March, and Postlude, across which Arnold reprises his material. The piece shows Arnold’s impressive technical command of the instrument, drawing out an array of colours, textures, and effects across its 10-minute duration.

“…exceptional…it has such contrast…his most tender writing ever in the ariettas.”
Sean Shibe