Les Folies d'Espagne - SOLO BSN

The Variations on La Folia come from the second book of viol pieces, published in 1701. The folia theme, one of the best known of the entire baroque period, was the subject of numerous variations, including those by Corelli, Albicastro, and Marais for stringed instruments, and Alessandro Scarlatti and CPE Bach for keyboard. In his Avertiessements to Books II and III, Marais states that he tried to make sure that the pieces were suitable for various kinds of instruments. he allows for performance on the organ, harpsichord, lute, violin, treble viol, traverso, recorder, guitar, and oboe, and professes some pride in having tried them out successfully on both the flute and viol himself. This the work is useful for just about any solo instrument, and is one of the finest examples of solo literature to be found anywhere.

Edited by Anselma Veit