Orlando Gibbons - Fantasia in A (Fantasia of Foure Partes)

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) was a composer of the late English Renaissance. He wrote a large volume of keyboard, consort and choral music, the latter of which is still performed regularly by cathedral choirs around the world. Canadian pianist Glenn Gould once named him as his favorite composer.

The Fantasia of Foure Partes showcases Gibbons' gift for creating beautiful melodies and intertwining them masterfully in a polyphonic texture. I personally love the piece because the harmonic language is a refreshing change from the Western music we hear today, yet still closely related through the sumptuously satisfying cadences which are characteristic of Gibbons' music. The score is available from:
- Musica Brittanica, Volume 20: Gibbons - Keyboard Music (ed. Gerald Hendrie)
- Gibbons: Complete Keyboard Works, Volume 5 (ed. Margaret Glyn; available on IMSLP)

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Performed by pianist/organist Aaron Tan on 7 October, 2012 on a Yamaha C7 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

Visit www.aarontan.org for more about Aaron.