John Come Kiss Me Now: Fantasies for Unaccompanied Violin

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum is pleased to welcome back violinist Gerald Elias for John Come Kiss Me Now: Fantasies for Unaccompanied Violin.

The musical "Fantasy" traces its origins to the 16th century. Historically, composers were drawn to the genre because of its inherent lack of rigid structure, offering them the freedom to follow their own creative impulses wherever they led. In 1597, the composer Thomas Morley described the genre as a space where a musician could take a theme and "wresteth and turneth it as he list... because the composer is tide to nothing."

This fluidity allowed for a greater display of artistry than almost any other musical form, as the creator remained free to add, diminish, or alter the music at will.

Fantasies are particularly well-suited to be performed by an unaccompanied violinist, who can freely change tempos and dynamics on a dime, and even improvise on the spot…