Friedgund Göttsche-Niessner

Walpurgis

This Fantasia for alto flute in G was inspired by the Walpurgis witches' dance, a tradition found in the Harz mountain region. The timbre of the alto flute emphasizes the mystic and estatic-wild elements of this kind of dance. Walpurgis should be performed and interpreted freely. This applies both to the tempos of the individual parts and to the rhythm and agogics. In view of the jazz elements used, too clean a playing style will not meet the piece's intention. Wild air, detached staccatos and clouded intonation on long-sustained tones can be used to underline the picture of the witches as they come out crawling and dancing.