Magdalena Hoffmann – Fantasia

For her album “Fantasia”, the harpist has traveled back in time and focused on the music of the Baroque era. Here she presents her instrument in a selection of fantasies and preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach, his sons Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel as well as his contemporaries Handel and Weiss, which were originally written for keyboard instruments or lute.

In the 18th century, the term “fantasia”, in use since the Renaissance, referred to an instrumental piece characterized by a combination of stylistic invention and structural discipline. Magdalena Hoffmann emphasizes: “Improvisational freedom and formal rigour combine to form a living, breathing whole – these contrasts form fertile ground for musical creation.” The composers she selected may not have written for the harp, but whether they are called fantasies, preludes, overtures, airs or allegros, their works in this genre are perfectly tailored to the instrument. “The harp has something of a home advantage,” she says, “thanks to its natural potential for the free, ornamental arpeggiation that is so typical of Baroque preludes and fantasies.”