- Idenstam, Gunnar
Improvisation on La Folia
Duration: 7'04" direct link to YouTube
© 2012 by Gunnar Idenstam- Published November 25, 2012 at YouTube by idenstam
- Duration: 7'04"
- Recording date:19 November 2012 in Oscar´s Church, Stockholm, Sweden
- More about the composer/performer at his homepage http://www.idenstam.org/
Emmanuel Istace wrote about his composition April 6th, 2014:
I've been introduced to baroque music with this particular theme, more precisely the variations composed by Marin Marais, when I was around 10 years old. From there I've first listen to most of the Marin Marais work and then extended it to a lot of other baroque composers, then other periods of classical music and other composers, and so on. The first time I've listened to the Jordi Savall interpretation it was like the first time you make love. You don't really understand everything of what's going on, you certainly not appreciate it at its right value and you don't even know that it could be better but what you're sure about is that it is amazing.
In fact this piece is also the first time I've written orchestral music. Around 14 years old with a really bad midi based software, inputting the notes without any theoretical knowledge excepted what I was learing on my classical guitar.
This piece was also responsible for my acceptance at the music academy. Due to my lack of theoretical background they were pretty sceptic about me. Then they asked if I was composing and I played them one of the guitar variation I've written some weeks ago. This was pretty basic, but they trusted me based on the result I get at composing without any theorical knowledge. It was a kind of jazzy version with lot of 7th chords added etc. Then some months later, the big drama, no more little finger at the left hand. The show is over.
I totally stopped music for some years, but decided to get over that stupid little finger by focusing only on composing some weeks ago. But I've never stopped to listen to and read about music. Even theoretically or historically. I also falled deeply in love with J.S. Bach and Chopin.
What's really funny it's that, in the end, I've never analyzed or even read any folia score. But I'm sure I can sing the 18 minutes of the Marin Marais variation by heart. And, opposed to many other piece, I think I don't want to analyze it. A bit like staying "ignorant". I just appreciate the experience without trying to understanding it.
So as this piece is really something for me, I think this mass will grow over time, in fact I've already changed some few things and started to write another variation.
- Istace, Emmanuel
Theme of Messe pour chorale sur le thème de "La Folia"
Duration: 2'10" direct link to YouTube
© 2014 by Istace Emmanuel- Published April 5, 2014 at YouTube by Istace Emmanuel
- Duration: 2'10"
- Recording date: March 2014
Written for Rubén Riera in 1995, a commission from Proyecto Cultural Mavesa for the first "Concurso International de composición para guitarra clásica Rodrigo Riera" in Caracas, Venezuela.
- Borbye, Anders 'Refolia, contemporary works for guitar'
Marisela González wrote in 2007 for the slipcase:"Folías de España is an old and new work, full of vigour and virtuosity. Izarra uses the Marin Marais version of the Folia theme and confronts it with an introduction of her own creation. The variations are full of rhythmic displacements, shifting odd meters and harmonic tension based on the use of semitones and Venezuelan rhythms. This confrontation produces an inner tension between the highly virtuosic and expressive variations, embedding baroque elements reflecting the originsof the theme.
The texture of the work is generally monodic, with changes in register that create dynamics and contrasts.
After taking us through several recreations of the theme of the Folia it is only at the end we hear the original form of the theme by Marais, which imposes itself over the use of semitones, which characterizes the work from its introduction."- Title: Folías de Espanã, Sobre las Folias de Marina Marais de 1701 (1995)
- Released October 2008 by Gateway ordernumber AB001
- Duration: Introducción 0'38" Rápido 1'10" Muy rápido 1'25" Rápido, misterioso 2'19" Veloz 2'08" Lenta 5'08" Ansiosa, muy rápida 2'06" Final 2'02"
- Recording date: August-September 2008 in the Frederikskirken, Aarhus, Denmark
- See also the page Recommended Folia recordings
- More about Anders Borbye at http://www.andersborbye.dk
- Izarra, Adina 'Desde una ventana con loros musica para solistas'
Paul Fowles wrote March 1999 in the magazine Classical Guitar:
Particularly memorable is the relatively brief Luvina, in which Toro creates a particularly spooky sounscape...the delicate imagery of the former ('Desde una ventanta con Loros' for solo guitar) and the virtuosity of Folías de España provide ample rewards to those who allow them a second innings. A significant contemporary release.
Duration: 2'06", 493 kB.( 24kB/s, 11KHz)
Veloz, as a part of Folías de España
© Adina Izarra 1995, used with permission- Released 1996 by Equinoccio, Colección Armonia compact disc
- Duration: Introducción y tema 1'29", Rápida 1'41", Misteriosa 1'53", Veloz 2'06", Lenta 3'27", Ansiosa 2'24", Final 2'44"
- More about the oeuvre of Adina Izarra at http://prof.usb.ve/aizarra
- The part Introducción y tema (1'29") of Folías de España you can find in mp3-format at http://prof.usb.ve/aizarra/guitarra.html
- The entire sheet music with finger-indication of Folías de España you can find in pdf-format at http://prof.usb.ve/aizarra/guitarra.html
- Izarra, Adina
Paul Fowles wrote December 1998 in the magazine Classical Guitar about the sheet music:Impressive set of Variations on a familiar theme...The work as a whole is a demanding schedule both technically and musically, but there is nothing here which can´t be made to work well. A demanding yet by no means unapproachable work by a time served composer with a natural feel for the guitar.
- Published 1995 by Edicion Rubén Riera
- Score 17 p., 22 x 33 cm
