| 1 CD |
€ 14.95
|
Preorder |
| Label Antarctica |
UPC 0608917737424 |
Catalogue number AR 074 |
Release date 03 July 2026 |
The Flemish Music Heritage series is a journey of discovery, reviving remarkable pieces of musical heritage. Forgotten scores are brought to light, and familiar compositions are given a fresh perspective. In close collaboration with the Study Centre for Flemish Music, the recordings are founded on intensive research in libraries and archives and meticulously prepared score editions.
The works, expertly selected by connoisseurs, are performed by valued musicians and ensembles who passionately restore neglected and forgotten composers to the recognition they deserve. With these vibrant composer monographs, Antarctica Records aims to broaden horizons and enrich the repertoire with rediscovered treasures from the past.
This FMH album presents music for violin and piano by female composer Irène Fuerison (1875–1931). Performed by Guido De Neve (violin) and Tom Hermans (pianoforte), they bring previously unrecorded music from a forgotten voice in Belgian musical history.
Guido De Neve was born into a musical family. At the age of eleven, he was admitted as a student to the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. From that early age, he performed regularly in chamber music concerts and as a soloist with orchestra.
In 2004, De Neve began performing on historical instruments, opening up a new field of research into musical style, sound, phrasing, and more. Today, he performs on baroque, classical–romantic, and modern violins, exploring the unique sound world of each instrument. One result of this research is his complete recording of the Bach Sonatas for violin and harpsichord with Frank Agsteribbe. This recording received a review score of 10/10 from Luister magazine for its outstanding performance and groundbreaking approach.
A major highlight of his work on the romantic violin was the discovery and recording of César Franck’s second violin sonata. This resulted in a unique album featuring both of Franck’s violin sonatas, performed in authentic romantic style on original instruments. Clive Brown, a leading authority on 19th-century performance practice, praised the recording for its ‘rhythmic flexibility and expressive portamento as they might have been imagined by the composer.’
In 2019, De Neve founded the Quatuor Romantique, a string quartet dedicated to performing in romantic style on period instruments.
For more than thirty years, Guido De Neve has been a violin teacher; he is currently head of the violin department at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp.
Tom Hermans began his musical studies in 1988 at the Music School in Heist-op-den-Berg, where he took piano lessons with Jetty Goeseels. In 1998, he continued his piano studies at the Royal Flemish Conservatoire in Antwerp with Eliane Rodrigues.
Hermans enjoyed success performing various piano concertos and giving solo recitals. Two live recordings of these performances were released on CD. However, his true calling proved to be piano accompaniment. During his studies at the Conservatoire, he was often asked by fellow students to accompany them at auditions and exams. Around that time, he was offered a position as a piano accompanist at the Music School in Heist-op-den-Berg, a role he still fulfils today.
He now also works as an accompanist at the Music School in Lier and at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. At the latter, Hermans supports, coaches, and inspires young musicians with professional ambitions from all over the world. He accompanies virtually all instruments and vocalists, and is praised for his flexibility, musicality, stylistic awareness, precision, and dedication.
In addition, Tom runs his own recording facility, Studio Kraaikant. Built around his magnificent Fazioli and Steinway grand pianos, it has since become synonymous with high- quality piano recordings in professional circles both in Belgium and abroad.