Fantasía Chilena

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At the beginning of the 19th century, Chile opened itself to the music of foreign composers, in particular those associated with European Romanticism. From this point on, it is possible to detect the influence of these foreign elements on Chile’s own musical identity. This album traces the connections between European and Chilean musical styles in terms of patriotism, nostalgia, and folk tradition.

In literature, painting, and music, Romanticism illuminated the unique features of individual countries and their people, with travel between countries simultaneously dissolving traditional rules of artistic demarcation. The individual thus became one of Romanticism’s central focuses, allowing individuals to ask questions about their own identity and heritage. Folk music was furthermore recognized as being of unique value and gained entry into the realm of high culture. Both scientifically and artistically, nature was also perceived anew as a space for fresh exploration, and this discovery of landscape opened up new vistas as purposeful wandering found itself driven by the need to both discover and exchange ideas. This pursuit was not limited to a single continent. The globetrotting artist is a transnational embodiment of the Romantic worldview.

This album presents three such globetrotters who have each contributed to Chile’s national musical identity: Santiago Heitz, Federico Guzmán and Guillermo Deichert. As composers, they each succeeded in creating their own musical style out of elements from both Chilean and European musical traditions.