Fantasia

A fantasia (from the Greek 'phantasia', meaning 'imagination') is a composition in a free, improvisatory style, unconstrained by the formal rules that govern sonatas or fugues. The form dates back to the 16th century and has attracted every major keyboard composer from Bach (whose Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue remains a cornerstone of the repertoire) through Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin. Because a fantasia follows the logic of imagination rather than structural convention, performing one requires you to create a convincing sense of spontaneity while maintaining architectural coherence. Study the harmonic journey carefully — in a fantasia, the harmony IS the structure — and allow yourself dramatic pauses, sudden tempo changes, and dynamic extremes that would feel excessive in a sonata.