Harald Feller

Fantasy on a Theme by Brahms

It may seem unusual to set a theme by Brahms for trumpet and organ. When thinking of literature for this instrumentation, one tends to think of effective brilliance rather than depth of thought, counterpoint or expressive melodicism. But it was precisely in the creative examination of Brahms' music that composer Harald Feller found the opportunity to expand the expressive spectrum for this instrumentation and also to gain a lyrical side for the trumpet. The thematic material is the theme of the early organ fugue in A-flat minor, to which the young composer already shows all his contrapuntal mastery. The present 'Fanstasie' is largely very densely contrapuntal with the elements of this theme, their inversion, augmentation and diminution. However, there is also a short cadenza for each of the two instruments with the possibility of some virtuosity and freedom. The passages with mutes are again of extreme melodic delicacy. (Excerpt from the preface)