Hymnus: Works for Solo Flute

This is a collection of three pieces for solo flute, composed by German composer and pianist Dorothea Hofmann (b. 1961).

Selene was a Greek goddess in charge of the moon; according to the programme notes she could give eternal sleep and awaken immortal love. This piece brings together hints of an old folk song about the moon, alongside fragments of melody which capture the essence of birdsong. Lyrical passages are interspersed by short bursts of rhythmic ideas, with the silences in between also forming an important sense of space. This is attractive music which is full of character and atmosphere.

Lingua Ignota is a homage to Hildegard von Bingen and the secret language she developed. Again in this work there is a sense of two contrasting elements exploring the same theme from different perspectives, gradually coming together to create a whole. In this case, Hofmann is allowing the hidden language to emerge as the piece unfolds.

The final piece of the three is Hymnus, which is based aroudn an ancient hymn-tune which is heard in full at the end of the piece.

All three pieces were composed between 2011 and 2014, and have durations between 5 and 7 minutes. Hofmann's compositional style is enjoyable; she brings together an underderlying tonality with a feeling of exploration which creates a unique compositional voice. The pieces are of intermediate/advanced level of difficulty, making them ideal for advanced school-age students and adult amateurs, as well as fitting in well to recital programmes. The structure and organisation of material works very well and the pieces are just the right length with just the right number of ideas. This sort of compositional balance is difficult to achieve, but Hofmann demonstrates a strong craft here. I was delighted to discover these pieces and would love to see them programmed in more concerts!