Fantaisie Op. 40

Absil’s Fantaisie Op. 40, composed in 1939 for piano quartet (violin, viola, cello, and piano), is a single-movement work of approximately 20 minutes.

Structurally free and rhapsodic, it alternates lyrical and animated episodes in a continuous narrative. The piano often provides contrapuntal or harmonic support to the strings, which carry the primary melodic material. The harmonic language is rich in chromaticism and polymodality, reflecting Absil’s assimilation of French post-impressionism and early modernist influences.

Composed just after his international success with the 1938 Piano Concerto, the Fantaisie was likely premiered in Brussels. Although initial reception was favourable, its performance history remained sparse, perhaps due to the onset of the war. The work has yet to receive a definitive recording, though recent interest in Belgian chamber music has brought it back into concert programmes. It is valued by specialists as a lyrical and technically refined contribution to the piano quartet repertoire.