Piano Sonata in E / Quattro Fantasie

Guido Alberto Fano was born in Padua in 1875. After his studies with Martucci he went to Germany and Austria to develop as a pianist and composer, and received support from Richard Strauss, who thought highly of him. During his long lifetime (he died in 1961) he held important posts at the conservatories of Naples and Milan, active as a promoter of Italian instrumental music.

Fano's substantial E major Piano Sonata (over 35 minutes) is written in late romantic style, rich and dense, highly polyphonic and chromatic and of the highest technical level (Busoni loved the work). It is one of the most important Italian piano sonatas, on a par with the Martucci sonata. The four Fantasies are lighter in mood, a warm Mediterranean pendant of Schumann and Brahms.

Superb performance by one of Italy's foremost pianists, Pietro de Maria, who recorded for Decca the complete piano works of Chopin.