A new review of Fantasies is available on the german magazine Orchestergraben: https://orchestergraben.com/cd-review-margherita-santi-fantasies/

English version:

CD-Review: Margherita Santi – „Fantasies“

The genre of fantasy has represented the artistic balancing act between formal tradition and creative freedom since Mozart. In it, composers manifest their urge to transcend established boundaries—an impulse that has lost none of its fascination to this day. On her debut album, Italian pianist Margherita Santi explores four key works of this genre. Her interpretations delve into the improvisatory spirit of these compositions, revealing their shared essence: the creative tension between form and freedom.

Santi begins with Mozart’s unfinished Fantasia in D minor K. 397, which, especially at the start, feels like a mysterious prologue. She slows down the tempo more than usual, immediately immersing the listener in deep expressive dimensions. As the notes sparkle like drops of water, she gradually builds the drama, only to fall back into a sorrowful, declamatory gesture—a sign of her thoughtful musical approach. The playful, cheerful final section feels like a window into a brighter world, where productive contradictions remain ever present.

Refined, tempestuous, and distinctive, Margherita Santi delivers a uniquely personal interpretation of Beethoven’s “Sonata quasi una fantasia” in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, the so-called Moonlight Sonata. The slowly flowing arpeggios of the first movement, enhanced by generous pedal use, create a reverberant atmosphere that, within the overall structure of the program, seem almost like a direct continuation of Mozart’s Fantasia. Here, too, Santi’s deliberate slowing of the tempo allows the full weight of the piece to emerge with even greater intensity.

The final movement unleashes a spectacle that aligns with Beethoven’s central artistic pursuit—freedom. With gripping drive, Santi hammers out the sforzato impulses, shaping the phrases into a rhetorical language filled with exclamations. She masterfully weaves the secondary theme into the surging flow of the performance, while the syncopated strikes continuously stir up the texture. Nothing ever arrives quite as expected; instead, everything constantly shifts—if one is willing to embrace it. Embodying this spirit, Margherita Santi condenses the final movement of Op. 27 into a suspenseful and breathtaking drama.

A Strong Artistic Vision

Even though the Romantic works that follow do not quite match the radical approach of her Mozart and Beethoven interpretations, Santi’s artistic individuality remains evident throughout. In Chopin’s Fantasia in F minor, Op. 49, she once again taps into the dreamy melancholy present in the previous pieces, impressing with her nuanced tonal palette. The central section is particularly striking, drawing the listener into profound contemplation: played in the style of a sacred chorale, this passage resonates with a universal human experience of spiritual depth.

Schumann’s Faschingsschwank aus Wien begins in a lively and spirited manner, yet not without the necessary psychological depth, which Margherita Santi expresses primarily through her bold attention to intricate details. She seems to focus even more on each individual moment of expression rather than on maintaining a continuous narrative arc.

The vivid listening experience of this recording is also due to Santi’s highly physical touch, a finesse rooted in the Russian piano tradition, which she deeply internalized during her studies in Moscow.

Conclusion:

With Fantasies, Margherita Santi establishes herself as a bold interpreter with a unique artistic vision. Her impressive debut sparks curiosity about the future artistic journey of this promising pianist from Northern Italy.

By Stefan Pieper