Telemann’s twelve fantasias for solo viola da gamba form one of the most imaginative and compelling collections written for the instrument. In these concise, highly individual pieces, lyricism, wit, dance, virtuosity and sudden turns of affect are combined with remarkable freedom and dramatic instinct. The subtitle Reason and Fire draws on Johann Adolph Scheibe’s phrase “das vernünftige Feuer eines Telemanns” — a contemporary description of Telemann’s rare combination of clarity, invention and expressive force. Fantasia presents this extraordinary cycle as a vivid solo theatre: clear in form, rich in character, and constantly alive with energy.