On 26 October Poom Prommachart gives the world premiere of Carl Vine’s Three Fantasies as part of his Hong Kong recital debut at the Hong Kong University. The 17-minute work complements Vine’s 2023 Gothic Fantasy – created for Janice Carissa after she was named Gilmore Young Artist at the 2022 Gilmore International Piano Festival – with a Cerulean Fantasy and Fantasia Divina. The latter was commissioned by the Music Department and Cultural Management Office of the University of Hong Kong with support from the UOB (United Overseas Bank).
The opening Gothic Fantasy, accordingly, has a brooding character. Vine draws out the darker aspects of the fantastical in the piece, opening with quiet, mysterious tolling chords, before a restless, searching melodic line gets underway. The Cerulean Fantasy, the centre of the triptych, was inspired by Vine’s recollection of childhood summer holidays spent in the Darling Ranges of Perth, Western Australia. Vine recalls the endless skies of the region, stretching to the horizon, characterised by “an impossibly deep blue that still signifies to me warmth, relaxation and the simplicity of youth.”
The character of the concluding Fantasia Divina came from Prommachart, who asked for a divine fantasy. Vine chose the Italianate title to suggest something supernatural and superhuman, hinting at the mystical flavour of fine pianist’s incredible skill. The piece focuses on producing multiple waves of sound that are hard to imagine emerging from a single instrument or from just one musician. “In the world of the divine”, Vine notes, “one must remember that deities not only inspire awe, but can also be implacable and unforgiving.”