Sydney John Kay – Fantasy in D minor

[Wheesht]

Kay (1906-1970), who was born in Germany as Ned John Kurt Kaiser, studied mechanical engineering and started his musical career as a member of dance bands, for example the famous Weintraub Syncopators from 1927. Being Jewish, he was forced to go into exile and ended up in Australia, where he settled down and composed film music, and the ballet music 'Lot's Wife' (played on Australian radio in 1944) as well as the Fantasy in D minor for large orchestra. According to a German book by Albrecht Dümling about Jewish musicians' exile in Australia, 'Die verschwundenen Musiker' (2010), the Fantasy is reminiscent, stylistically, of Richard Strauss and Reger and sounds impressionistic at times. It was first performed in 1944 by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The score of this 11' work (along with a tape recording) is kept at the National library of Australia.