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The sheet music, 2 parts, 34 cm |
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The sheet music typeset by Alonso del Arte |
We don't know why the variations were written, but Salieri, who enjoyed a reputation as being among the more innovative composers, had evidently kept pace with 19th-century trends in orchestral writing: the complete work makes striking use of brass and woodwind colors, and even includes solos for the harp as well as the violin. [In these performances we perform a selection of variations highlighting the virtuosity and colors of our strings and woodwinds.] Salieri rarely strays from the folia theme, the variety is to be found in the brilliant way he exploits different instruments or combinations in turn, a literal anthology of symphonic possibilities. No wonder it has been compared to Ravel's Bolero. But intriguing as it is, Salieri's 'La folia' has no more been able to claim a place in posterity than its composer.
| Opening of Variazoni sull'aria La Follia di Spagna | |
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Steven J. Haller wrote for the 'American record guide' in the issue May
2001 (and he obviously fails to hear any beauty in the Folia theme):
Main course here, as in so many recent Salieri repasts, is the La Folia Variations. The interminable and not very imaginative shifts from winds to strings (or fast to slow) and back again that here suffice for "variations" make this one of Salieri's less impressive efforts, particularly set next to the overtures. Pesko takes about 20 minutes for the variations, while Frontalini takes 21 and Spada on ASV takes 23 (Sept/Oct 1996). Bamert without ever sounding rushed or superficial gets through it in 17:47, and (even better) actually manages to hold your interest while doing so. The others have their virtues too, but I think you'll be quite happy with Bamert, assuming you ever want to listen to the piece to begin with.
Pietro Spada (Engish version by Carole McGrath Manzoni) wrote as an introduction:
The 'Variations on the Follia of Spain' are in all probability
Salieri's last symphonic work and can be chronologically placed in the
middle of the Beethoven period (1815). They are almost surely the only
nineteenth-century orchestral variations until Brahms's celebrated 'Variations
on a theme by Haydn'. The folk song, incorrectly called 'Follies d'Espagne',
which provides the theme is of seventeenth century Portuguese origin,
and has been used and made famous by many composers including Corelli,
d'Anglebert, Scarlatti, Pasquini, Bach (in his Cantatas),
Cherubini (in the 'Osteria Portoghese'), Liszt (in his 'Spanish Rhapsody'),
and Rachmaninov (in his 'Variations on a Theme by Corelli' op. 45).
It is hard for us to imagine why an elderly Salieri decided to compose
a piece of this type - the work itself is conceived a bit in the spirit
of a study in orchestration (as the later, famous Ravel's 'Bolero').
The instrumental draft faithfully follows the theme, always based on
compositional and orchestral schemes which give the piece somewhat the
air of an anthology of symphonic permutations relieved with solistic
interludes. We can also discover canons and classic imitations as, for
example, the dance movements in the pleasing variation in the 'Siciliana'
style. This may not be a work of deep expression, but it shapes itself
and finds the exact definition of its limits as an intellectual 'divertissement'.
Above all, and this is what makes it especially noteworthy, it manages
to completely transcend that eighteenth-century climate which had dominated
a great part of Salieri's previous works
Duration: 21'25" direct link to YouTube
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Pietro Spada wrote about Salieri's variations in the slipcase:
This was the last work by the senescent composer. A sort of brooding soliloquy but, at the same time, something of a massive study in timbre and instrumentation, much as Ravel's Bolero was to be in the 20th century. It certainly set Salieri's musical fancy ranging, from symphonic declamation to virtuoso canon, from the melancholy pace of the Siciliana to the dark, muffled timbre of a trio of solo trombones, somewhat reminiscent of Mozart's Connitato di pietra. In conclusion we have what practically amounts to an anthology of situations and instrumental colouring
Wie ein Straßenkind Karriere machen kann, zeigt
der Werdegang des Volkstanzes Folia. Eine spanische Quelle aus dem
frühen 12. Jahrhundert schildert ihn folgendermaßen: "Es
handelt sich um einen bestimmten lärmenden portugiesischen Tanz,
an dem viele Personen mit sonajas (`Schellentrommeln`) und anderen
Instrumenten teilnehmen, außerdem einige maskierte Rüpel,
die auf ihren Schultern als Mädchen verkleidete Jungen tragen.
Sie bilden mit ausgestreckten Armen manchmal einen Kreis oder tanzen
und spielen die Schellentrommeln; der Lärm ist so groß und
die Musik so schnell, daß alle von Sinnen zu sein scheinen." Auch über
die Bedeutung des Namesns gibt die Quelle Auskunft: "... der Tanz erhielt
den Namen "folia" nach dem toskanischen Wort "folle", das eitel, verrückt,
von Sinnen bedeutet bzw. jemanden bezeichnet, der einen leeren Kopf
hat".
Dieser ausgelassene Tanz war so populär, dass er bereits um 1500
an den portugiesischen Königshof kam. Auch eine eigene Mode gab
es für den Tanz, die bald als "vestiti alla Pourtughesi" ("portugiesisch
gekleidet") bezeichnet wurde. Gleichzeitig fand unter dem Namen Folia
eine harmonisch-melodische Formel, ein ostinates Bassmodell, wie dies
etwas auch die Passacaglia oder letztendlich auch das Blues-Schema
darstellen, Eingang in die Kunstmusik. Vor allem vom 16. bis 18. Jahrhundert
erfreute sich die Folia in dieser Form zunächst in Spanien, dann
europaweit großer Beliebtheit und bot die Grundlage für
Lieder, Tanzsätze und Instrumentalvariationen in verschiedensten
Besetzungen. Vor allem für die Gitarre und ihre Voläufer,
Laute und spanische "vihuela", wurde die Folia gerne herangezogen.
Alle wichtigen Gitarristen hatten im 17. Jahrhundert Folia-Stücke
im Repertoire. Vermutlich mit dem gefeierten italiensichen Gitarristen
Francesco Corbetta gelangte die Folia Mitte des 17. Jahrunderts nach
Frankreich an den Hof des Sonnenkönigs Ludwig XIV. Hier kam die
Bezeichnung "Les folies d`Espagne" auf. Spanien statt Porutgal wurde
fortan als Ursprungsland gesehen. Wie in vielen Künsten strahlte
der Geschmack des Sonnenkönigs auch im Fall der Folia auf ganz
Europa aus: Corelli, Vivaldi, Bach, sie alle schrieben in der Folge
Folia-Sätze. Die eingängige Formel bot ein zuverlässiges
Gerüst für virtuose Improvisationen und Variationen. Wie
bei vielen Barocktänzen, die der Folklore entstammen, verlangsamte
sich durch die höhere Kunstfertigkeit in der Melodieführung
das Tempo.
1815, gegen Ende seiner Laufbahn, als Antiono Salieri längt europaweite
Berühmtheit erlangt hatte als erfolgreicher Opernkomponist, Schöpfer
von Sakralmusik, Lehrer sowie als Wiener Hofkapellmeister, setzte auch
er sich mit der Folia auseinander. Er nahms das traditionsreiche Modell
als Grundlage für einen Variationszyklus, mit dem er die Möglichkeiten
des klassichen Orchesters einfallsreich ausreizte. Seine 26 Variationen über "La
Folia di Spagna" gerieten zu einer originellen musikalischen Charakterstudie.
Das Werk beginnt sehr getragen. Diese Stimmung prägt auch noch
die erste Variation in den tiefen Streichern, aber schon die zweite
Variation nimmt ernormen Schwung auf. Das Ausgelassene wie auch das
Virtuose kommt im weiteren Verlauf zur Geltung. Kusntvolle Solopassagen
wechseln sich ab mit Bläserchorälen, Gewittermusik und raffinierten
Echoeffekten. Salieri zeigt den gesamten Kosmos der Folia, zeichnet
sie pathetisch, ausgelassen, zurückhaltend, graziös, wild,
schwungvoll, kapriziös und dramatisch. Das Werk zeigt: Das alles
ist die Folia.
Mark Weiger wrote about Salieri's variations in the slipcase:
Salieri's subsequent few compositions
were mostly of a more entertaining genre (divertimenti, etc.) In fact, his
Variazioni sulla Follia di Spagna of 1815 is in all probability his last
symphonic work. [...]
While Salieri did write works featuring double reed instruments (Drei
Trios for 2 oboes and bassooon; Picciola Serenata for 2 oboes, 2 horns, and
bassoon; Cassazione for 2 oboes, 2 English horns, 2 bassoons, and 2 horns da
caccia), Variazioni sulla Follia di Spagna is a set of 24 variations
originally scored for orchestra. It has been deftly transcribed for a
double reed sextet of 2 oboes, 2 English horns, and 2 bassoons by Jeffrey
Linville as a special project for the University of Iowa's Double reed
Ensemble. It has been prepared for publication through Bocal Music. The
theme and variations that were used are as follows: Tema: Andante, Var. 1
Andante, Var. 2 Piu Mosso (originally #3), Var. 3 Allegro (originally #5),
Var. 4 Allegretto (originally #7), Var 5 Poco Adagio (originally #8), Var. 6
Allegretto (originally #11), Var. 7 Poco piu Allegro (originally #12), Var.
8 Allegro (originally #16), Var. 9 Larghetto (originally #18), Var. 10
Allegretto (originally #20), Var. 11 Allegretto (originally #21), Var. 12
Andante Pastorale (originally #23), Var. 14 Presto (originally #24), var. 15
Allegro moderato-Adagio-Allegro.
The term Follia, which appears as early as the 15th century in Portuguese
and Spanish poetic texts, dances, and song variations (usually accompanied
by guitar), is of two styles: the "early follia" and the "late follia".
Salieri employs the late follia style in this set of variations. The
earliest example of the "late follia" is an Air des Hautbois from 1672 by
Lully. In the late follia style a specific harmonic structure is maintained
throughout a set of variations, almost always in the key of D minor with the
second beat of the odd measures being dotted and slightly accented. This is
the style which became a very popular form, taken up by the likes of Marin
Marais (1701), A. Scarlatti, Liszt, Cherubini, to Rachmaninoff in his
Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op. 45 (1932).
The type (of Folias de Espana) is familiar to musicians through the 'Folias de Espana', used by Corelli as foundation for a set of variations incorporated in a violin sonata, published about 1700. Before Corelli, the 'folias' was known and used in Italy by a certain Cristiano Farinelli, said to have been an uncle of the famous sopranist singer. It was a very populair melody in Italy and was brought from Spain perhaps by Gaspar Sanz himself, the famous Spanish guitarist, who lived for a time in Naples and in Rome. The tune is found in a book of 'Instrucción de música sobre la guitarra española' (Instruction in the music of the Spanish guitar), written and examples collected by Gaspar Sanz and published ten years before the birth of Bach..
And she continues on page 149:For Don Juan he wrote a book of instructions, printed in Saragossa in 1674, which contained a collection of national dances, including the original Folias de España, a tune used in the eighteenth century and to this day by innumerable European composers, beginning with the violinist Corelli.
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Duration: 2'28", 05 kB. |
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Duration: 1'28", 03 kB. |
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Duration: 1'23", 03 kB. |
| Theme by Sanz | Arranged for guitar by Karl-Heinz Böttner, Pycrus Edition |
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Sara Águeda and Juan Carlos de Mulder play Sanz and Martin Y Coll |
The Folia is a danza of Portuguese origin with an extensive history in Spain - there being references to it as far back as the fifteenth century. During the course of the seventeenth century the harmonic pattern known as the folías de España became widely used (the three that we include here follow that pattern). Gaspar Sanz's lovely Folías are known to all enthusiasts and on this occasion they can be heard being strummed on a guitarilla strung with four and five high-pitched courses - the tuning preferred by the author in order to "puntear con primor, y dulçura" (to pluck with delicacy and sweetness).
Elizabeth Brown wrote for the slipcase:
Spanish guitarist and composer Gaspar Sanz was exposed to this new style when he went to Italy to study organ and guitar. He then returned home and published the first collection of mixed rasgueado (strummend) and punteado (plucked) guitar solos in Spain in 1674. Sanz's Folia is the quintessential baroque form: a set of melodic and rhythmic variations on a chord progression, that is both dramatic and stately in feel. This particular piece has a very unusual feature: one of the variations has the phrase "esta glosada toda se corre" (this variation always is running) engraved at the beginning. This seems to be some sort of performance direction, perhaps indicating that this passage should have a faster tempo, which alludes to the wilder roots of the folia in Spain.
In the documentation is written:The 17th century composer Gaspar Sanz was guitar instructor to Don Juan of Austria, and published a book, Instruccion de Musica sabre la Guitarra Espanola (1674). His Folias - a dance theme, three variations, and da capo return - is kin to the famous tune, sometimes called Folies d'Espagne, which was used for variations by a host of composers from Frescobaldi, Corelli, Vivaldi, Pasquilli and Marais to Liszt and Rachmaninoff.
The Folías are a series of variations upon a basso ostinato well-known through its wide diffusion in other European countries and very well established by this time. The sterotyping of this rhythmic-harmonic model permits the happy combination of the discoveries of Sanz with the Folías of Martín y Coll.
Philippe Foulon: high viol, Sergio Barcellona: tenor viol, Etienne Mangot: bass viol, Dominique Gauthier: sopranino soprano and alto recorders,
Fernand Charpentier: soprano and alto recorders, David Charpentier: soprano and alto recorders, David Mayoral: percussion and tenor recorder,
Brigitte Tramier: harpsichord) conducted by Christian Mendoze 'Gaspar Sanz, Danzes Espagnoles du XVIIème siècle'
Two versions of the Folia, a fifteenth-century dance, exist in the baroque era; an early and a
later variant with a more complex cadential formula which became standardised in Europe.
Sanz's version employs features from both. The earliest extant use of this ground appears in Mudarra's
"fantasia que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Ludovico" 15 for vihuela (1546). This generally
rambunctious dance again features tambourines and a variety of other instruments and appears to have
been very popular on the stage. In 1611 Sebastián de Covarrubias describes porters, in disguise,
carrying young men dressed as women on their shoulders. He goes onto explain that the term folia means
mad or empty headed. The steps of the dance were surely meant to illustrate this point. With its emphasis
on the second beat, the folia actually has more in common with the later baroque sarabande than its namesake
the Spanish zarabanda.
The first 4 variations are played on the solo guitar. The 4th variation
is repeated with guitar and violin, ending the piece with cello, flute,
viola and guitar in the first variation again.
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Duration: 2'43", 1.6 MB. (96KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
The arrangement, which follows quite close to the Sanz original from the "Libro Segundo de Cifras sobre la Guitarra Espanola" (1673), was composed in 1992 and first performed by "I Villani" in the same year.
The seven variations of the Folia are attributed to an anonymous composer.
However two variations are obviously arrangements of two variations by
Gaspar Sanz (variation 4 and 5). The other variations might be improvisations
regarding the quote of Dinko Fabris commentWe are presented with the joyful use of variation, and free improvisation by the musicians on the most popular themes of the day. This is a freedom which, for several centuries, European musicians seemed to forgot.
This Folias tune of the compact disc 'Altre Follie' is a combination of different lines from the Folia
composition by Corbetta and by Sanz. The opening is for the Corbetta strummed lines followed by the theme of Sanz.
The music swiches several times between the two pieces.
Overall, one can globally identify the Corbetta elements by the strummming style and the Sanz lines by the plucked
style.Corbetta seems to be one of the first authors to superimpose to the traditional bass of the Folia the characteristic treble melody in triple meter, with a dotted second beat in each measure, that was to become associated with the genre from the late seventeenth century on. In fact, Gaspar Sanz' 1674 version was basically an adaptation of Corbetta's setting., which the Spanish master must have acquired shortly after its publication in Paris.
This is an early arrangement of the Folias by Sanz which differs not that much from the more common
arrangements for modern classical guitar. However for this recording not Sanz but Regino Sainz de la Maza
is mentioned as the composer.
Regino Sainz de la Maza (1896-1981)4 Danzas Cervantinas (after Gaspar Sanz) Folias, Españoleta, Marizapolos, Canarios.
A leading guitarist, composer and teacher of his time, Regino Sainz de la Maza has also earned a mark
in history by being the first performer of the most played concerto ever, Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez'.
Many of Sainz de la Maza's compositions are flamenco-based, but another passion was the Baroque. and the four
'Danzas Cervantinas' constitute in effect a homage to the great master of the Baroque guitar, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710).
The dances transfer wellfrom the Baroque guitar to the modern guitar, once the six single strings of the modern guitar
can be reconciled with the five double strings of the Baroque instrument.
Saionz de la Maza's rescue work was done before the Early Music movement got into its stride, and the musical values
of his time were unimpeded by questions of authenticity.
Jose Miguel Moreno in a live performance of Folias and Canarios
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Duration: 1'51" direct link to YouTube
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Renata Terrago was born in Barcelona, where she studied music at the conservatory of the Liceo.
She began her career as a professional guitarist when she was
fourteen. Both in Spain and abroad, her recitals have met acclamation from the public and critics.
In 1951, the city of Barcelona awarded her the Premio Extraordinario (award for excellent achievement).Gaspar Sanz lived during the Seventeenth Century, and spent most of his career away from Spain. He became maestro to the Spanish Viceroy at Naples and guitar teacher to Don Juan of Austria, for who he wrote a book of instruction which contains interesting examples of Spanish dance music and folksong of that period.
Folías: the first report of a folía appears when one was danced for Queen Juana la Loca during a trip to Portugal, in the town of Evora. The Portuguese origin of this dance is therefore probable. This same folía appeared among the works for the theorbo of Piccinini written at the beginning of the 17th century long before Sanz.
The complete d'Ottava stesa as played by Andrea Marcon (harrpsichord)
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Theme and variazioni su "La Follia" |
| Theme of Variazioni su 'La Follia' | by unknown source |
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Alessandrini plays d'ottava stesa including Follia
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Ivano Battiston plays La Follia
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Mahan Esfahani plays Variazoni sulla Follia di Spagna
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Duration: 7'40" direct link to YouTube
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Duration: 7'05" direct link to YouTube
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La Fol a es una danza portuguesa, cuyo origen
se remonta a tiempos muy antiguos. Ya Pedro 1,
al Justiciero, de Castilla, en el 1350, gustaba de
bailarla, A partir de 1500 se leen alusiones frecuentes
a esta danza en tratadistas de m sica
como Salinas, en literatos (Gil Vicente, Cervantes
.. . ), encontr ndose, por otro lado, gra'n cantidad
de ejempl s musicales de ella en vihuelistas
y cancioneros. A principios del siglo XVII,
se pone de moda en toda Europa, con el nombre
de Fol a de Espa a ; casi todos los compositores
escribieron sobre este tema, baste decir
que, en tiempos m s modernos, hasta Liszt y
Rachmaninoff han utilizado el tema de la Fol a
en sus composiciones.
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), padre de Domenico,
el autor de tantas bellas sonatas para
e,1 clave, hab a trabajado con el gran Girolamo
Frescobaldi en Roma; de l aprender a la t cnica
de la Variaci n, o Partite , en la acepci n italiana
m s antigua de esta palabra. Existe, seg n
Willy Apel, un v nculo de uni n entre Cabez n
y Frescobaldi a trav s de la escuela de tecla de
N poles, y de la que son exponentes magn ficos
un Antonio Valente y otros compositores. La
Fol a , primitivamente danza, se , convierte en
tema b sico de composici n, y se presenta como
complejo arm nico-mel dico en el que est n implicadas
las cuatro voces polif nicas (seg n el
mUSic logo Miguel Quero!), pero cuya parte m s
caracter stica se sit a en el bajo. Este bajo de
Fol a , se repite invariablemente a lo largo de
la obra como un bajo ostinato . La Fol a de
A. Scarlatti, de gran empe o virtuos stico, forma
parte integrante de una de sus Toccatas .
The Toccata No. 7 in D minor appears in the manuscript of the two books of 'Toccate per Cembalo'. The second part of this toccata comprise twenty-nine variations on the 'Folia', popular theme of an old Spanish dance, in ternary rhythm. A detailed description of this dance was given by Salinas in in the seventh book of his 'De Musica' (1577). In 1600 Cervantes mentioned it, placing it with the saraband and the chaconne, and in 1625 Giovanni Stefani used it in his 'Scherzi amorosi'. A number of composers in addition to Scarlatti took up the theme, including Fresobaldi, Storace, Pasquini, Corelli, d'Anglebert, Bach, Sanz, Lully, Vivaldi, Keiser, Pergolesi, Grétry and Cherubini.
Out of the wealth of Follia compositions traceable from the late 15th century up to the turn of the 20th, we are publishing three salient works for the keyboard. Our edition is based on a critical revision of the source material.
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Duration: 0'28", 02 kB. |
| Opening theme by A. Scarlatti. | Arranged and edited for 3 instruments by Lori-Ann
Jensen © 1995 Podium Music, reproduced with permission of Podium |
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In this recording, Mr. Kipnis has made a keyboard transcription of Corelli's setting of the theme to open the variations and uses a theme from Vivaldi's Trio Sonata, Op. 1, No. 12 to close them.
Ekkehart Kroher wrote as an introduction:
Scarlatti hinterliess kein grossartigeres Werk als die dreiteilige Toccata d-moll, deren abschliessendes 'Partite sull' aria dell' follia' 29 Variationen über das durch Corellis Violinsonate op. 5 Nr. 12 berühmt gewordene Folia-Thema bringt
Source: GB-Lbl, una più tarda versione in US-NH, in Toccate per cemalo, a cura di J.S. Shedlock, London 1908
Pinuccia Carrer wrote for the slipcase:As Pasquini, so was Alessandro Scarlatti (Palermo, 1660 - Naples, 1725), an Arcadian with the name Terpandro, who played a big role within music history as a composer-teacher as well as father (Pietro and Domenico were his most well known offspring, and it was he himself who introduced them to the art of music). Alessandro Scarlatti made the toccatistica form and the Folie d'Espagne his, developing each single variation, from the point of view of keyboard technique, in a truly original manner. In order to show the harpsichord's obvious and hidden tonal and dynamic resources to their advantage he surrounds his writing with a veritable "cacophony" of chords and formulas, dictated more by him than rules. They are placed at the end of the CD and would appear to be a musical metaphor of Enconium moriae, in praise of folly, recalling Erasmus.
Ruggero Laganà plays Variazoni sulla Follia di Spagna live in Rome
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Andrea Marcon plays A. Scarlatti
's complete Ottava stesa including the Folia starting at 13'05" |
The Naeapolitan Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) enjoyed great fame as a composer of operas and vocal works. Nevertheless, perhaps influenced by Corelli's success and later by Vivaldi's Op. 1 (1705) he composed, in 1710, a cycle of thirty elaborated variations on the folia, pieces that are brilliant, lively and virtuosic.
Wynand van de Pol plays Toccata del primo tono including Follia
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In the documentation is written about the organ:The instrument used for this recording is an antique Neapolitan positive organ of the second half of the
Settecento. It has, therefore, all the characteristics of the Neapolitan school: a narrow diameter of the pipes, the almost
complete absence of tongues, low-pressured bellows. The result is a simultaneously sweet and crystalline sound.
Outstanding is the rather accentuated and unique anticipatory statement of the pipes preceding the actual sound,
which confers a clarity and polyphonic texture to the notes. The keyboard is disposed as follows: Principal 8', Octave 4', XV 2',
XIX 1'1/3, Flauto 4' Vox Humana 8' soprani. The author of this precious instrument remains anonymous, but the
tachnique and tone quality are closely related to that of Dominicus Antonius Rossi, organ builder for the
Royal Chapel from 1761 to 1789.
The organ was restored in 1969 by Bartolomeo Formentelli, one of Italy's most outstanding organ builders and the only one
working on a completely artisan level. Restored according to strict historical criteria, it is one of the few existing
positive organs able to recreate the true essence of the music which was written for it.
Robert Woolley plays A. Scarlatti's harpsichord variations on "La Folia as part of the Ottava stesa
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This cd assembles 'La Folia'-inspired works by six composers, starting
with the original Corelli Sonata and ending with Geminiani's orchestral
arrangement of it. The C.P.E. Bach and A. Scarlatti works are for solo
keyboard. The six pieces are all taken from a series of earlier Hyperion
cd's individually devoted to the respective composers.
Duration of the six folias (incl. Marais, Vivaldi) 68'22"
Das bedeutendste Cembalowerk Alessandro Scarlattis sind aber seine 'Variazioni sulla Follia di Spagna', Variationen über die aus Spanien stammende 'Follia'. Die Follia war ein Tanz im Dreiertakt mit dem getragenen Charakter einer Sarabande; sie bestand aus einem achttaktigen Modell, das beim Tanz nach Bedarf wiederholt und variiert wurde. Bald in Spanien, sondern in Italien, wo die Follia (eigentlich = Narrheit, Laune) bald eines der beliebtesten Themen für Variationen wurde. Das bekannteste Werk dieser Art schrieb Arcangelo Corelli in seiner 12. Violinsonate, die als 'Folies d'Espagne' noch heute auf den Programmen der Grossten Geiger steht. Alessando Scarlatti aber übertrifft ihn noch an Zahl und Vielfalt der Variationen. Nach 25 Variationen, in denen der Bau und die Harmonik der acht Takte nur wenig verändert werden, besliesst die Wiederholung des Themas ein Werk, in dem wirklich alle Register der Komposition gezogen werden; Das thema wird melodisch aufgelöst, rhythmisch abgewandelt und im Charakter vielfältig verändert. Es ist das grösste und bedeutendste Variationswerk für Cembalo, das vor Bachs 'Goldberg-Variationen' geschrieben wurde, und es ist so recht geeignet, die universelle Begabung Alessandro Scarlattis ins Licht zu stellen
To conclude, we would emphasise the grandeur of the structure of 'Toccata VII' of the 'Primo tono' (Naples, 1723) that concludes the CD, a Toccata that, in the extended version (Preludio [Presto], Adaggio [Cantabile, è appoggiato], Presto, Fuga [Presto], Adagio, Folia [29 Partite]), assumes something of the atmosphere of a 'Sonata da Chiesa'
Johan van Veen wrote about these Folias in Vol VI in a CD-review: The last piece in the programme is the most remarkable: the Toccata in d minor is followed by a series of 22 variations on the famous theme La Folia. It is one of three sets of variations on this theme by Scarlatti. One of them includes only four variations, a second has no fewer than 29, and these are also connected to a toccata (the Toccata del primo tono or Toccata per cembalo d'ottava stesa, included in Vol. 1). Tasini observes some similarity between this set of 22 variations and the famous variations by Arcangelo Corelli for violin and basso continuo, the closing item of his sonatas Op. 5. He mentions that the two composers knew each other well, and were both admitted to the Accademia degli Arcadi in Rome in 1706. These variations are a fine way to end this disc and this series, which reveals the qualities of Alessandro Scarlatti as a player of the keyboard and composer of music for it. The skills of his son Domenico are much admired, but listening to Alessandro's keyboard music, one realises from whom he inherited those skills.
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Alexander Weimann wrote for the slipcase (translated by Louis Bouchard):Just as in the famous model of the "Toccata d'ottava stesa' folowed by the notorious Follia variations, the sequence of movements here is clearly recorded in the sources. The beginning, a rather convention.and predictable device, leads to a short connecting piece which, with each of its chord changes, defies all harmonic presumptions. The 22 variations on the ubiquitous Follia motif, more widely-known siblings (recorded in volume I). Here the focus is not on the melodic and harmonic daring, but rather on changing tone colour, movement, and the pace
Alexander Weimann wrote for the slipcase (translated by Louis Bouchard):The 29 variations of this composition on the famous ostinato model, well loved by many composers, take the theme harmonically, rhythmically, tachnically, and emotionally to its limits. Scarlatti explores new keyboard possibilities (in Variation 17 to 19) and opens up the tonal infexibility with abrupt acciaccature (in variation 24). The piece builds up up tension over the last five variations and comes to a sudden and rough halt descending abruptly and, to our unbelieving ashtonishment, ending in an open question without returning to the original key.
Franz Silvestri live organ
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The sheet music as published by Hofmeister |
Information about Schaffner is difficult to find. I have only been able to find a short bio of him in Fetis' Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie g n rale de la musique: Volume 8, pg. 71.
Schaffner (Nicolas-albert), born in Silesia in 1790, learned to play several instruments in his youth, particularly the violin and clarinet, on which he acquired a certain degree of skill. He lived in Breslau [now Wroclaw, Poland] for some time, then traveled to Germany and arrived in Paris in 1815, where he was appointed director of music for a regiment of the royal guard; but he gave up this job at the beginning of 1817 to succeed Alexandre Piccini in his position as conductor of the Porte - Saint Martin, Rouen theater . He wrote stage music in the form of melodramas and pantomimes like The Prince and the Private; Daniel, or the Pit of Lions; Azendaï; Cabane of Monlainard; Marshal Villars; the Outlaws and the Bride; Little Red Riding Hood; The Invisible Brothers, etc. The reasons that made him give up his position as the director of the orchestra of the Rouen theater in 1821 [is unknown], but he [nonetheless continued] performing his functions until 1834. The following year he [finally] left that position, but it is unclear what [caused him to do this]. A painstaking artist, Schaffner published many [pieces] of harmony music for wind instruments, composed or arranged by him, and pieces for various instruments".
No date of Schaffner's death is given by Fetis when he was writing his Biographie quoted above, which was published in 1844. Regardless, Schaffner's La Folie must have been composed well before the publication date of Frederic Hofmeister's score in 1872, although I can not find any references to the composition which might indicate the year in which it was written.
It is interesting that Schaffner's La Folie does not start with a "theme," i.e., using the Folia in its traditional format (like, say, Marin Marais did in his version). The concept of "variations before (or without) a theme" otherwise belongs to stylistic developments more common in the the 21st century. It is a virtuoso piece, displaying a highly advanced violin technique, demanding skills close to those introduced by Paganini. Paganini's first public performances as a soloist began in 1810 and he eventually visited Germany and France 1829-31, where Schaffner was located according to Fetis.
The question is whether Schaffner was ever able to hear one of Paganini's performances for himself; Paganini was notoriously careful about letting his written music out of his own sight, because of the lack of copyright protection in his day. He only allowed some of his works to be published, like the 24 Caprices, which were published in 1819.
On one hand, Schaffner's variations share traits with Paganini's Caprices, like fast arpeggios from the lowest to the highest register of the violin and melodic passages accompanied by simultaneous double stopping in faster note values, playing in the extreme high register of the violin and flying spiccato. On the other hand, Schaffner does not use extensive double-stopping in octaves and tenths - although one variation requires the player to stretch to play a tenth double stop - nor does he make extensive use of harmonics.
Thus most of Schaffner's stylistic traits could have come from composers like Locatelli and the virtuosos of the French school of violin playing who developed the use of flageolets as well as other violinist-composers of the second half of the 18th century, who had already introduced most of the elements of violin technique that are contained in Schaffner's La Folie. A dating Schaffner's piece is therefore not easy, but considering his year of birth and the style of the pieces, anywhere between 1810 and 1830 or somewhat later may be possible. Ultimately, it will require on either finding the manuscript - if it still exists - and determining its date through water mark analysis, or finding better documentation about Schaffner's life and the source of the edition published by Frederic Hofmeister in Leipzig in 1872.
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From the very start of the composition there is the reflection of the Folia-theme because the left hand of the piano plays an inversion of the theme, harmonizing with another inversion of the oboe-part, which results in a somewhat alienated effect. Some fragments of the Folia theme emerge as the composition is unfolding. In the conclusion of the composition the Folia-theme is finally stated.
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| © Stichting Het Joop Schoutenhuis
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Duration: 7'31", 09 kB. |
A live performance by Piet Balyon in the Agneskerk, The Hague Harderwijk (NL)
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A live performance by Aart de Kort in the Grote Kerk in Harderwijk (NL)
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.Der Name "Folia" taucht schon um 1500 in der portugiesischen Dichtung und in Hofchroniken als Bezeichnung eines Tanzes
auf. Da er als laut, wild und verrückt beschrieben wird, gehörte die Folia als Tanz in die Gruppe der Fruchtbarkeitszeremonien. -
Oie Spanier haben den Tanz übernommen.
Die Folies d'Espagne wurden von den Spaniern nach sarabandenähnlichen
Dreivierteltaktmelodien sehr leidenschaftlich getanzt. Die barocke Folie d'Espagne hat ihren Charakter - wie
verchiedene andere Tänze auch - völlig verändcrt , als sie am Hofe Ludwigs XIV gesellschaftsfáhig wurde. Die Melodie und das
harmonische Gefúge wurden bereits 1553 von Diego Ortiz beschrieben. Ähnlich wie die Chaconne und die Passacaglia ist die
Folia nach dem Variationsprinzip aufgebaut.
Durch die Musikgeschichte zieht sich die Folia wie ein roter
Faden. Lully 1672, Gaspar Sanz 1674,.John Playford 1685,
Arcangclo Corelli 1700, Marin Marais 1701, J. S. Bach 1722 in
der "Bauernkantate" und G. F. IIändel etwa zeitgleich in der
"Ode to St. Cecilia'" seien hier als Beispiele angefügt. Die hier auf
der Theorbe eingespielten Variationen von La Folia sind im Stil
der Zeit von Thomas Schulz improvisiert.
Die Choreographie stammt von Raoul Auger Feuillet: "Chorégraphie ou I'art de décrire la danse par caractères, figures et signcs demonstratifs", Paris 1700. Dem Thema der ersten Tanzvariation ist einc originale Kastagnettenstimme hinzugefügt. Ria Schneider (Köln) hat zu den Variationen 2 -6 weitere
Kastagnettenstimmen geschrieben (Kastagnetten-Spielbuch
Ria Schneider, Musikvcrlag Zimmermann 1991). Im Endeffekt
lasscn sich dic Folia-Variationen sowohl (nach Feuillet) tanzen
oder auch mit den Kastagnetten "klappern".. Die höchstc Kunst
ist jedoch, beides miteinander zu kombinieren.
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Duration: 12'42", 11.91 MB. (128KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
Robert Tifft wrote about this Folia-improvisation:
János Sebestyén has performed throughout the world as organist, harpsichordist and pianist and is a veteran broadcaster for the Hungarian radio and television. He is one of the few performers today that incorporates improvisations into nearly all of his recitals. His free improvisation on the Folia theme was the final selection of a program performed on March 9, 1993 at the National Auditorium in Madrid, Spain. The improvisation begins with the unadorned theme quietly stated. A series of variations ensue, each one becoming more elaborate and gaining in intensity. The first variations are simple embelishments of the Folia melody with one incorporating aspects of a Spanish fandango. The keyboard figuration becomes more elaborate, eventually leading to the theme boldly stated by the vibrant Spanish reeds. An almost hymn-like statement of the theme follows, leading to a quiet passage of introspective character. The Folia melody gradually reappears in its hymn-like guise, modulating to a major key, for a triumphant conclusion utilizing the full organ.
You can find more background information and acoustical samples (mp3-format) at the excellent webpage 'J ános Sebestyén - organist, harpsichordist, pianist' including a complete discography: http://www.jsebestyen.org |
István Lantos and János Sebestyén |
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Duration: 5'46", 5.29 MB. (128KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
| Opening of Variations on La Folia in D minor page 13 Ms Selosse |
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The monumental set of variations on the "La Folia" ground which open dthe collection deploy a rich panoplyof textures and technical devices. They run to 24 variations including the opening statement and the theme is written as mainly equal crotchets throughout. The set is very similar to its concordance in the Hogwood MS, although Selosse is five variations longer, and only 14 sections are shared between the two sources. The two sources also disagree on certain small details of the text. Of the 10 variations unique to Selosse, sections 15 and 16 are particularly expressive, and the order and reworking of the last third of the work arguably strengthens its conclusion.
This exciting and historically important new CD, entitled ‘La Chasse Royale’ presents a newly discovered manuscript of music by Antoine Selosse. Although it seems possible that Antoine Selosse (the Jesuit musician Antonio Mason alias Selosse, 1621-87, who was active at the English Jesuit College of Saint Omer in the 1680s) is the ‘Selos’ to whom the contents of the manuscript were attributed in the first flyleaf inscription, various factors mitigate against his authorship of the whole collection.
The repertoire chosen for inclusion in Selosse’s remarkable book covers a broad spectrum of the genres popular in seventeenth century Europe and reveals a wide range of national influences and styles. It consists of mainly dance pieces (often with variations of their own) and these are grouped by key. Few pieces have a specific title and no composers are named but the authorship of only one piece can be stated with confidence: Bull’s popular The King’s Hunt 3 and the suites in G major (13-14) and D major (16-19) are strikingly similar, on stylistic grounds, to works by John Roberts.
Most compositions in the manuscript are anonymous; only John Bull as the composer of The King's Hunt is known with certainty. It is possible that some pieces may have been written by Antoine Selosse himself, in particular the liturgical works. These were clearly intended for the organ, but otherwise the choice of the keyboard is left to the performer. That will always be a matter of debate.
I wanted to inform you about my piece Folia (2019) for recorder soloist playing all the range and sizes of the instrument in one piece. In spite of its contemporary attitude towards sound, rhythm, space and time it includes the textual theme of La Fol a. This is performed by two garklein recorders in fragments, in a very slow pace, along the work.
La Follia |
The composer from Tel Aviv wrote: In my work I focused, as inspirational point of departure, on two aspects: the old theme of ‘Les Folies d’Espagne’ which musical content (melodic and harmonic) is part of any musician’s subliminal memory and on the literal meaning of the word in Latin languages (“craziness”). Those two approaches come out in the work in two ways. In the first, as an obsessional lean on the soprano and bass melodic codes of the theme, which share a same structure but on different dimensions: the melody in half and full steps and the bass in full steps and fourths, acting as an inner subconscious DNA. The second, by exploiting a multifaceted deranged “personality” in which different moods and characters co-exist simultaneously, perhaps without any perceptive harmony, but in a synergic and organic way. The use of 7 different recorders (from Garklein to Bass) concretize this “split personality” addressing the performer to the different instruments and registers and in addition to his own voice and his own gestural sounds.
Although I'm not a composer, I like the Folía theme so much that I tried to write a little composition about the theme a year ago.
Just for fun and to understand the music better. My friend Ale Delgado, who is a student at the conservatory pointed me
in the right direction and gave me some general instructions. Still it took me great effort to master the composition
the way it got its final shape.
Well, here you are. Regard it as a present for the work with the Folía pages, which is one of my favourites pages.
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Duration: 1'38", 8 kB. |
It is a 14-variation piece composed for the American Recorder Orchestra of the West (AROW), a new group which began in May 2000 in northern California. The twelve parts consist of one sopranino recorder, 2 sopranos (descants), three altos (trebles), three tenors, one bass in F, one Great Bass in C, and one Contrabass in F. A Recorder Orchestra is an expanded recorder ensemble with more of the unusual large and small sizes for added tone colors.
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Duration: 7'41", 58 kB. |
Charles Fischer (Unicorn Music, http://www.buyrecorders.com) commissioned it and it was completed in 2005.
He believed in the quality of the music and wanted a version that was much more portable, noting that 5 players with Bass being the largest size is much more
obtainable than 12 players and super-size recorders.
The recording is indeed a live performance in concert, recorded Aug. 15, 2006 at Arlington Community Church in Kensington, California.
I'm glad you like the quality of the recording; the mics could have been closer. A friend of mine fixed up the original for me. My fellow
players were excellent and their playing added so much more to the sound than I could have hoped for.
Each part switches between two recorders of adjacent size in order to cover everything in the original 12-part version, from smallest to largest:
Si/S means Sopranino/Soprano (Soprano = Descant in the UK)
S/A = Soprano/Alto (Alto = Treble in the UK)
A/T = Alto/Tenor
T/B = Tenor/Bass
B = Bass (this part does not change instruments)
S and T are one octave apart in the key of C (meaning lowest note, all fingers down, is C); Si, A and B are octaves apart in the key of F.
Duration: 8'44" direct link to YouTube
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Duration: 1'11", 1124 kB.( 128kB/s, 44100Hz) |
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Duration: 1'48", 1698 kB.( 128kB/s, 44100Hz) |
The work is written for a large symphony orchestra and is
published by the Israeli Music Institute (IMI) but can be obtained shortly
by Peters Edition, Frankfurt.
Unfortunately, the record issued in Israel of this and other works of mine
conducted by Gary Bertini is no more on the market and there is no CD yet.
However the recording exists in the Bavarian radio and the Israeli broadcasting
authorities.
Noam Sheriff's La Folia variations consists of a prologue, eight variations
and an epilogue. The theme itself makes its appearance only after the fourth
variation. The first half is composed rather of strictly conceived variations
which unfold in the direction of the theme while the second half is more
like a 'Folia', a madness, so to speak.
1 had already planned to compose variations for orchestra
several years ago. This plan became a reality when, to my surprise, David
Shallon (a former pupil of mine) asked me to write just such a work for
a concert of the Munich "musica viva" which he was to conduct.
The "La Follia" Variations are in fact dedicated to him.
When I started the work, 1 didn't yet have a distinct idea on what theme
or motto actually to base the variations. That initial uncertainty was indeed
appropiate to the situation: variations in search of a theme. And the more
1 occupied myself with my musical sketches, the more it became clear to
me that 1 was really looking for something well-known, that was resting
forgotten and undetected in my memory. Only when the third variation had
already taken shape on paper 1 suddenly realized that this enigmatic, indistinct
theme was La Follia: that simple, beautiful melody, so familiar to every
music-lover.
But as soon as 1 asked myself the question, "Why precisely La Follia?",
1 could not find a satisfactory answer. It is somehow a mystery. Looking
closely at the melody itself, one cannot but wonder why it has been the
source of inspiration for so many compositions since the 16th century: from
Stefani's Folies d'Espagne (1622) to Frescobaldi, Lully, Corelli, Geminiani,
Bach and Cherubini, on to Liszt, Nielsen, Rachmaninov and several contemporary
composers like Henze. 1 was particularly happy to discover later that La
Follia's first emergence goes back to the year 1505 in a work by the Portuguese
poet and musician Gil Vincente. In this work, whose music is thought lost,
four biblical figures - Abraham, Moses, Solomon and Isaiah - are singing
a four-part Follia. My composition consists of a prologue, eight variations
and an epilogue. The theme itself makes its appearance only after the fourth
variation. In this respect, as welf as in others, this is a symmetric composition
throughout although I wish to emphasize that in this case "symmetry"
has manifold meanings. If I were, for instance, to explain more exactly
the balance between emotion and form, I would say that the first half is
composed rather of strictly conceived variations which unfold in the direction
of the theme while the second half is more like a Follia, a madness, so
to speak. Should I again ask myself the question, "Why indeed La Follia?",
1 can only try to give an answer by means of my music.
To all this, I would like to add the beautiful and poetical words by Gregorio
Paniagua: "All the composers in the whole world, who write their own
Follia, have hardly any clear idea of what they are doing. They are like
a tree which will ripen without worrying about its sap. Like the tree, they
absorb everything in the midst of the storms of spring, not being afraid
that another springtime would perhaps never come. And spring does arrive
and they are overcome by a mellow tiredness and they are patient without
worries and so calm, as though they were in the presence of eternity. This
way they are able to carry in themselves their Follia (their madness) and
their loneliness. They tolerate the pain that both these are causing them
and they succeed to lend beauty to the sounds of their lament" (quotation
taken from the liner notes to Paniagua's CD La Follia de la Spagna).
La Follia |
Folías was premiered with the New World Symphony with Alasdair Neale conducting
in Miami September 21st, 2002. Other performances were scheduled with the
Dallas Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, and the Bilbao Symphony in Spain.
Folías is the second guitar concerto I composed for Manuel Barrueco. Like its predecessor, Concierto Barroco, the newer work has strong Baroque influences. The melodic-harmonic theme known as 'La Folía was widely used in the Iberian Peninsula since the sixteenth century. Countless composers wrote variations on 'La Folía', among them Scarlatti, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, Arcangelo Corelli, and Marin Marais. It was the work of Marais which served as point of departure and inspiration in my treatment of 'La Folía' theme; in fact, some of the variations in my piece have their roots in Marais' 'Les Folies d'Espagne' (1701). In terms of instrumental writing, the guitar yields itself as a perfect vehicle for the haunting theme. In 'Folías' I evoke both the world of the Baroque and that of our own time
Eladio Scharrón called it a masterwork, comparable with the best achievements of twentieth century composers like Rodrigo and Ohana.
The work that we hear this evening (Dallas, March 13, 14 and 15, 2003) has both an Iberian flair and a strong connection to the music of the past. Folias is one of those tunes, like Paganini's 24th Caprice, that has inspired many composers writing in different eras and certainly different musical styles. In the case of Folias, the roots extend back much farther than Paganini's unforgettable melody: to the fifteenth century. The term Folia, which is of Portuguese origin, is related to the Latin root for 'fool' or 'madness', and refers to a dance that was likely a court 'fool's dance'. The music that has inpired composers from the Baroque era to the modern day is a harmonic pattern related to two additional dances: the passamezzo antico and the romanesca. In the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Alessandro Scarlatti, Marin Marais, Arcangelo Corelli and Johann Sebastian Bach were among the many composers who took this harmonic pattern as the basis for variations sets. In the pre-classical and classical eras Grétry and Cherubini adapted it. Franz Liszt followed in the romantic era with his Rapsodie espagnole. Twentieth-century iterations include Carl Nielsen's opera Maskarade and Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op. 42. Now Roberto Sierra, in the twenty-first century, has taken his bow to Folias as well.
| Opening of one voice of La Folia, Neue Variationen nach Farinelli-Corelli |
© Gustav Bosse Verlag, 1969 Reproduced with permission |
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This composition was created five days before they got married, and most of the variations are improvised. The variations start in a Renaissance style changing throughout the ages until it climaxes in a 21st century style.
Improvised Variations on "La Folía"
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As to the form, there is an introduction (not called such) ending in a thin double bar, then the statement of the theme.
The Allegro is next (really the first variation but not called that). Vivace is next (second variation), then Moderato which is the theme again in canon.
Ritmico is the name of the next section followed by Parlando, senza misura. Next is Allegro which leads into the last section with no new tempo name.
It functions as a coda and is the theme again in big chords with decorative scale figures between the phrases.
It is a sizable piece of twelve printed pages. I played the piece on the piano in a concert which I don't think was recorded and I have been told it is
played by a harpsichordist at McGill in Canada. Also I know it was played on the organ many times in Europe by David Pizarro in 1967-1970,
and also by some of his organ students.
Diferencias was composed in 1966 and edited in 1982 - probably for publication in 1984.
I have looked at the original 1966 manuscript of Diferencias and there really is some difference though the basic piece is the same.
In the early version the variations are numbered 1 - 6. In the printed edition several arpeggios have been added to the last variation.
Also there are places which have been moved down an octave and places where an octave passage has been expanded. I also have found
a few misprints in the printed edition. It seems the more I look the more I find.
The truth is that Irma recorded the printed (revised)edition with the added arpeggios. The original 1966 version was never recorded as far as I know.
It is not a major revision but notes are added.
The complete diferencias as played by Irma Rogell |
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Duration: 0'48", 1.1 MB. (192KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
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Duration: 0'45", 1 MB. (192KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
In the Handel Suite, it is interesting to note that the
Courante is itself a variation of the Allemande in that it uses
the same melodic and harmonic material, transforming it
from 4/4 time to 3/4 time.
However, it is in the Sarabande that we finally come to the
third and later type of variation, beloved of Bach, Beethoven
and Brahms: the use of a familiar tune, usuallv borrowed
from someone else's composition, followed by as
many variations on this tune as the composer wishes to
invent
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In this dance, Handel uses the well-known Iberian folktune
'La Folia' as his theme, setting it forth in simple
unembellished block chords. There follow two variations.
The first is in lute style, meaning that the chords are broken
up into their component parts and each notc individually
struck, creating a lacy texture. The second returns to the
chordal treatment in the treble, while the bass roams over
the keyboard in a rising and falling pattern, creating a
sweeping effect of agitation and restlessness.
It is this same tune, 'La Folia' which becomes the theme
for Van Slyck's 'Diferencias', or Variations. Striking the
same tonality of D, the theme sounds forth from the lowest
depths of the keyboard, mysteriously altered by chromatic
ambiguities and dissonances which imbue it with a sombre
chilling intensity.
There is a startling transition of color as the theme sounds
out in both hands high in the treble, but muted by the lute
stop, as though rigid and still numb from its encounter with
Death. In a miraculous moment. the theme frees itself from
its static imprisonment and with a sudden flow of eighth
notes moves into a singing sweetness, a return to life.
There follow variations of dramatic contrast: exuberance,
serenity, agitation, tenderness. With gathering energy, the
music moves demonically to an impassioned climax before
sinking again into dissonant depths of darkness.
A theme from an eighteenth century dance, seen in a glass
darkly.
Duration: 4'57" direct link to YouTube
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Duration: 2'20" direct link to YouTube
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| Opening of Les Folies d'Espagne by Jos Snellings |
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The piece was written in 2007 and has an unusual scordatura requiring the cellist to tune the C string down to a G which gives this double bass sound in the bass lines. I was awarded the special price for the performance of this particular work at Janigro Competition 2008 in Zagreb.
Sebastian Diezig plays La Folia |
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Duration: 3'30", 2465 kB.( 96kB/s, 22KHz) |
Well, it was written today (23 May 2004), in my bedroom located in Sale, England
David W. Solomons continues: I chose the Folia because I've always liked the basic melody
(I think I've known it for decades) and because Joe Dillon (of the Delian
Society) mentioned your site. More generally, also, I like the use of basso
ostinato, and I suppose that La Folia could be regarded as a glorified version
of an ostinato. I suppose the best ever pure ostinato is in Dido's Lament
from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (which I sing in my alto arrangement on my
site www.dwsmp3.com/dido.htm ). There is also one that I use quite a lot
myself, a chromatic one and yet totally tonal - one of the best examples
of my use of that one is the Amble round Mercury here: www.dwsmp3.com/recorder.htm
I suppose it helps to give structure to a piece much in the way a blues
riff does. So maybe I'll start a series using the La Folia ostinato over
the next few years, who knows...
BTW I wonder whether the ostinato feel of la Folia relates to the original
meaning - madness due to the mind going round the same theme, unable to
break out.. hmm?
One of my projects is to make my own La Folia variations in a sort of multi-forces suite (a-cappella, song, guitar quartet, jazz band, tuba quartet, string quartet and who knows what else...).
This is for voices and guitars. It introduces the theme as a repeated verse on voice 1 and then adds a couple of vocalize additions above and below it. The cuckoo style interpolations by voice 3 presages the madness of the third movement....
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Duration: 1'53", 1328 kB.( 96kB/s, 22KHz) |
This re-introduces the theme and then adds various neo-renaissance divisions, ending up with the main theme a quaver apart between parts to give the effect of dreaming empty headedness (or possibly even madness itself?). The guitarists are also asked occasionally to tap their guitars - hence that knocking sound!
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Duration: 2'51", 2005 kB.( 96kB/s, 22KHz) |
This a-cappella version uses three altos and one (sort of) bass, a-cappella, i.e. me singing on multitrack. It explores a couple of alternative modes for the theme: Octatonic and Dorian and it also explores the theme of madness a little - Beware!
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Duration: 2'47", 1964 kB.( 96kB/s, 22KHz) |
This string quartet version starts in the major (Ionian) mode in a fast 5 time and explores some slightly Brittenesque ideas. After a short interlude which grasps helplessly for the home key the time changes to 7/8 and the mode returns to a sort of minor (aeolian) and the feeling of madness becomes almost "acceptable". The major theme in 5 time returns and we are prepared for the planned climactic and crazy 5th movement (.... which is yet to be composed - hang on in there...!)
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Duration: 3'45", 2641 kB.( 96kB/s, 22KHz) |
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Duration: 4'55", |
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Duration: 3'49", |
Mad scene loosely based on the medieval Farce of Pierre Pathelin from Variations on La Folia |
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Duration: 5'11", |
David wrote about la folia variations for string quartet in October 2014:This string quartet movement from my La Folia (madness) variations is accompanied by various images by Giuseppe Arcimboldo of faces created using fruit, vegetables, birds and other things. It starts in the major (Ionian) mode in a fast 5 time and explores some slightly Brittenesque ideas. After a short interlude which grasps helplessly for the home key the time changes to 7/8 and the mode returns to a sort of minor (aeolian) and the feeling of madness becomes almost acceptable".
A full performance of Variations on La Folia for string quartet |
If you really think your brass quintet is that professional, good and disciplined, this is the ultimate piece you would love to play as the tour de force of capabilities!
Brass Quintet in various modes based on the La Folia (madness) theme, ranging through the Dorian, Octatonic, Superlocrian, Neapolitan Minor and even an invented mode specially created for the horn player, who, in the theatrical version is evidently most affected by the modal changes.
This recording involves an electronic preview of the brass parts and the glissandi are not reproduced but the vocal parts are performed by the composer.
I look forward to a fully live production.
A full performance including text-elements and sheet music
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Bergmann Edition |
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5 pages in pdf-format (including menuet) with fingersetting
of theme and first variation |
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Duration: 3'53", 08 kB (including menuet), sequenced
by M. Knezevic |
| Opening of Les folies d'Espagne et un menuet |
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Elizabeth Brown wrote for the slipcase:
Thanks to the efforts of several very successful guitarists who also composed, the guitar enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the early 19th century. The Spaniard Fernando Sor was such a guitarist, and was also one of the better composers. Although Sor actively performed and was considered a virtuosic guitarist, he also devoted himself to composition, producing several successful operas, ballets, symphonies and various chamber pieces in addition to his works for guitar. Perhaps as a result, his guitar compositions are in a sophisticated style that goes beyond merely showcasing the instrument's idiomatic capabilities. Published in Paris in the early 1820's, Sor's version of the folía exhibits a classical approach to the theme and variation form, with each variation serving as its own entity, often sharply contrasting in mood from the others. Since folías are always in a minor key, Sor is unable to include a major variation as further contrast, a common practice of the time. This may be why he chose to end the composition with this charming Menuet in the parallel major.
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Duration: 1'19", 1.6 MB. (160KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
Oeps, I did it again by Britney Spears |
The piece of mine you mention is a relatively early work that I wrote to develop composition technique through writing variations (a very useful way of doing this, because it enables the composer to work on thematic, structural and textural transformation processes in particular). The reason I chose the La Folia theme is because I like the simplicity and beauty of the harmonic progression. I used Marais's version because it is less familiar to pianist's than, say, Rachmaninov's so-called 'Corelli' variations. I had also performed excerpts from the Marais version with a gamba player and produced my own realisation of the figured bass, a process that set me off on the path of the original composition.
I should finally mention that I am unhappy with this piece, but may one day find the time to reduce its duration so that the best variations only are kept.
La Folia, 7 variations for violoncello solo |
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The sheet music |
My piece was inspired by Marin Marais' wonderful set of folia variations for gamba, but is not based on or imitative of it. The title is a deliberately over-literal translation of the French 'les folies d'espagne', which I used both in homage to Marais and in recognition of this being a guitar piece. It is a 'folly', too, because for most of its length it treats the theme 'foolishly'--not as a ground bass but as a simple sequence of notes (G D G F Bb F G D) that has 'adventures': very fast repetitions in the minimalist fashion, for example; transpositions, distortions, various kinds of contrapuntal manipulation. The guitars are required to use scordatura, so that the range goes down to a low D, and quarter-tones are available. In places, the music modulates into tonalities with quarter-tone tonics, in other places the quarter-tones are used to imitate the upper partials of drums: there is a quote from Ravel's Bolero, and a spoken line from Windsor McKay's Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend. A long rock-'n-roll passage leads to a climax invoking the great lute tradition of the 16th-17th century, in the middle of which a simultaneous cross-relation (Fis against F) finally forces the theme to acknowledge its tonal roots and produce the traditional cadence that had hitherto been missing. Following this resolution the last five bars are repeated, then the last four, the last three, the last two, the last...
More about the oeuvre of Andrew Stiller, the founder of Kallisti Music Press at: http://www.kallistimusic.com/Stiller.html| Norwegian Folia for solo voice | Unknown source |
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One day I had to write and play a continuo for Corelli s Follia-variations. To study and really understand the whole thing I wrote these variations first to make sure that I really know the theme and its character.
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Duration: 1'38", 481 kB.( 40kB/s, 22KHz) |
| Theme of La Follia per mandolino solo | © Grenzland Verlag, used with permission |
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Thema - Adagio 0'49"
I made a record with Swedish folk songs and Sinclairvisan is a well known folksong in Sweden. I think it is a great song. The first time I heard it was by Jan Johansson on the record "Jazz p svenska"
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Duration: 4'28", 5.38 MB. (160KB/s, 44100 Hz) |
Folia has always been a fascinating form to me. There is something eternal in those harmonies. I wrote that piece in 1994. It is not the greatest piece of music but we (Fred and I) had fun playing it!
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Duration: 0'54", 03 kB |
| Theme of Folias | © G. Svoboda, used with permission |
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There is a Folia-version for semistrunnaia gitara - a Russian
seven-string guitar tuned DGBDGBD - by A. Sychra (1773-1850). He was the
founding father of the Russian guitar and wrote hundreds of pieces. He taught
the instrument and some of his pupils became composers too.
This particular piece is in 'Journal de Petersbourg' no. 33 and consists
of the theme and 3 variations in E minor. Most of the title page is in Russian
but it clearly states ' Journal de Petersbourg pour la guitare par A. Sychra'.
The collection has 144 pieces in all. I think they were published in instalments.
A lot of the pieces are very attractive but this setting of La Folia seems
a bit dull.
The edition that is in the Library of Congress has the dates 1828-29 pencilled
in by a librarian. But Oleg Timofeyev's liner notes to his cd 'The golden
Age of the Russian Guitar' (Dorian Recordings) dates the start of this collection
of pieces starting in 1818. I doubt if Oleg Timofeyev has ever recorded
this particular piece which is not Sychra at his best.
You're missing one or more?
Please e-mail your contribution to
folia@chello.nl
and it will be added to the inventory
best viewed at 800 x 600