New Work (Fall 2023)
Fantasia - La Folia
for Solo Woodwind
Duration: 7 mins
Level: Advanced
A new solo fantasia launches from the principal theme of Marin Marais' renowned work, Les Folies d'Espagne (1701): and lands in a fiery extravaganza of notes!
Commissioning Consortium Now Open!
CONSORTIUM INFO. PAGE
Fantasia - La Folia
for Solo Woodwind
Duration: 7 mins
Level: Advanced
A new solo fantasia launches from the principal theme of Marin Marais' renowned work, Les Folies d'Espagne (1701): and lands in a fiery extravaganza of notes!
Commissioning Consortium Now Open!
CONSORTIUM INFO. PAGE
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Lead Commissioner: Dr. Rachel Becker
Senior Commissioner (Bassoon): Dr. Conor Bell Senior Commissioner (Flute): Dr. Nicole Molumby Senior Commissioners (Saxophone & Clarinet) - OPEN Co-commissioners - Unlimited - OPEN: PLEASE APPLY! List of Commissioners World Premiere - 03 November 2023 in Boise, Idaho, USA Bassoon World Premiere - 12 November 2023, Canyon, Texas, USA Saxophone, Flute & Clarinet World Premieres - TBC Features of the Piece
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Exclusivity Period:
04 November 2023 - 03 November 2024
Only Lead, Senior & Co-commissioners will have access to the piece during the exclusivity period
04 November 2023 - 03 November 2024
Only Lead, Senior & Co-commissioners will have access to the piece during the exclusivity period
Composing
Fantasia - La Folia
Fantasia - La Folia
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When oboist Rachel Becker and I performed two of my original works together at Newnham College, Cambridge in May, she also played some solo couplets from Marais' Les Folies d'Espagne, using an edition in G minor. It was lovely to hear this piece again - and played so stylistically - after having performed it so many times myself, in my previous oboe recital career.
In early August, she told me that she had a Marais project planned, involving a concert in November, for which she wanted some women composers to compose one couplet each. I was very interested, but unconvinced that I could do precisely what she asked – for the simple reason that I had performed the piece so often, that I would have to work very hard to avoid pastiche. Les Folies is embedded into my body and memory. Therefore, I thought that my best option would be to compose another fantasia - a companion piece to Fantasia Dodecaphonica - but not to tell her what I was doing, unless I felt that it was coming out alright. |
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The beginning of the piece involved several re-writes, as it took me a couple of days to get a handle on the best approach to the material. Once I was halfway through, in mid-August, I let her know what I was up to!
For this reason, the draft piece was, unusually, complete prior to the opening of the consortium. I decided to compose it first - and sort out the consortium, afterwards - because I wanted to be sure that I could come up with music worth paying for, bearing in mind the unusual circumstances of the project. As mentioned above, the issue was making sure that I could transcend my extreme familiarity with the original material, to a satisfactory extent. As of 25 September 2023, the piece has been fully-revised, with finer details added; re-composed in places; and sent over to Lead Commissioner Rachel Becker! She now has just over five weeks in which to learn it, prior to the World Premiere. |
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La Folia/Les Folies d'Espagne - What was it?
"What is nowadays to please all the fashionable people must, as a rule, be Les Folies d'Espagne. The Folly is now coming into such vogue that everybody wishes to adorn himself with it, in dancing, playing, and singing. To make myself agreeable in all matters, I will for once join in the Spanish folly. Holla laquais! Apporte la Guitarre!"
Johann Philipp Förtsch Die grossmuthige Thalestris oder letzte Königin der Amazonen ' (Opera, 1690)
On July 24 of the year 1689, in which D' Anglebert published his " Pièces de Claveçin," Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter, Madame de Grignan, about a gentleman as follows : " II dąnse ces belles chaconnes, les folies ďEspagne, mais surtout les passepieds avec sa femme, d'une perfection, d'un agrément qui ne se peut représenter."
Both quotes: Fr. Niecks, Les Folies d'Espagne: A Study, The Musical Times, 1888 (JStor)
"What is nowadays to please all the fashionable people must, as a rule, be Les Folies d'Espagne. The Folly is now coming into such vogue that everybody wishes to adorn himself with it, in dancing, playing, and singing. To make myself agreeable in all matters, I will for once join in the Spanish folly. Holla laquais! Apporte la Guitarre!"
Johann Philipp Förtsch Die grossmuthige Thalestris oder letzte Königin der Amazonen ' (Opera, 1690)
On July 24 of the year 1689, in which D' Anglebert published his " Pièces de Claveçin," Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter, Madame de Grignan, about a gentleman as follows : " II dąnse ces belles chaconnes, les folies ďEspagne, mais surtout les passepieds avec sa femme, d'une perfection, d'un agrément qui ne se peut représenter."
Both quotes: Fr. Niecks, Les Folies d'Espagne: A Study, The Musical Times, 1888 (JStor)
Les Folies d'Espagne represents a long trend in classical music, that took off in the sixteenth century; enjoyed its heyday from 1672-1748; and persisted into the twentieth century, via a composition by Rachmaninoff.
It appears that musicologists lack complete clarity as to the precise musical meaning of the word folies/folia/follia. The persistent belief is that the music originated in a Portugese folk dance that spread to Spain, and then throughout Europe - even as far afield as the United Kingdom and Sweden. In the former country, versions of the dance were known as Faronel's Ground. One characteristic of the dance is thought to have been an increasing sense of abandon, with the music becoming faster and more frenetic, as the dance progressed. This increase in speed (usually via increasingly shortened note lengths), and variations in metre, are characteristic of most sets of folia variations. It is a feature which I also include in my fantasia, which finishes with an extended virtuosic flourish.
Musicological analysis divides the folia into two distinct phases: pre-Lully's set of variations published in 1672 (early); and post-Lully (later). The later folia - to which Marin Marais' piece belongs - was characterized by a standard, 16-bar chord progression with a fairly-standardized melody. After the initial statement of the theme, the composer would write 24 or 32 couplets (divisions/variations) over the chord progression. It is thought that at least 150 composers wrote pieces relating to la folia! The most famous mid-Baroque versions of these were composed by Corelli, Marais - and, later, Vivaldi. The theme would frequently be repeated at the end of the piece, bookending the set of divisions.
In order to avoid pastiche, I have not adopted the traditional approach to the folia couplet: neither have I retained the standardised chord progression of the later folia. If you would like to find out exactly what I have done, THE CONSORTIUM AWAITS YOU!
The most famous set of folia variations for woodwind is Les Folies d'Espagne (1701) by Marin Marais (1656-1728). Although the piece was modelled on the bass viol (see photo, top), Marais intentionally produced multi-instrumental scores, and even mentioned the oboe as being one of the instruments that could play the piece.
It appears that musicologists lack complete clarity as to the precise musical meaning of the word folies/folia/follia. The persistent belief is that the music originated in a Portugese folk dance that spread to Spain, and then throughout Europe - even as far afield as the United Kingdom and Sweden. In the former country, versions of the dance were known as Faronel's Ground. One characteristic of the dance is thought to have been an increasing sense of abandon, with the music becoming faster and more frenetic, as the dance progressed. This increase in speed (usually via increasingly shortened note lengths), and variations in metre, are characteristic of most sets of folia variations. It is a feature which I also include in my fantasia, which finishes with an extended virtuosic flourish.
Musicological analysis divides the folia into two distinct phases: pre-Lully's set of variations published in 1672 (early); and post-Lully (later). The later folia - to which Marin Marais' piece belongs - was characterized by a standard, 16-bar chord progression with a fairly-standardized melody. After the initial statement of the theme, the composer would write 24 or 32 couplets (divisions/variations) over the chord progression. It is thought that at least 150 composers wrote pieces relating to la folia! The most famous mid-Baroque versions of these were composed by Corelli, Marais - and, later, Vivaldi. The theme would frequently be repeated at the end of the piece, bookending the set of divisions.
In order to avoid pastiche, I have not adopted the traditional approach to the folia couplet: neither have I retained the standardised chord progression of the later folia. If you would like to find out exactly what I have done, THE CONSORTIUM AWAITS YOU!
The most famous set of folia variations for woodwind is Les Folies d'Espagne (1701) by Marin Marais (1656-1728). Although the piece was modelled on the bass viol (see photo, top), Marais intentionally produced multi-instrumental scores, and even mentioned the oboe as being one of the instruments that could play the piece.
Wanted: Three Senior Commissioners, to give World Premieres on the Saxophone, Flute & Clarinet*
Most alternative instrument scores looks set to be in different keys, as follows:
Oboe: D minor (a traditional folia key) ~ Flute: G minor (ditto) ~ Bassoon: A minor ~ Saxophone & Clarinet: Transcribed E - or possibly D - minors
*N.B. CLARINETTISTS: Fantasia - La Folia utilises a comparatively limited range - only 2.5 octaves - in comparison with the Clarinet's extensive range. In that respect, Fantasia is not optimised for Clarinet: but you are so welcome to engage with it, if you would like to.
Most alternative instrument scores looks set to be in different keys, as follows:
Oboe: D minor (a traditional folia key) ~ Flute: G minor (ditto) ~ Bassoon: A minor ~ Saxophone & Clarinet: Transcribed E - or possibly D - minors
*N.B. CLARINETTISTS: Fantasia - La Folia utilises a comparatively limited range - only 2.5 octaves - in comparison with the Clarinet's extensive range. In that respect, Fantasia is not optimised for Clarinet: but you are so welcome to engage with it, if you would like to.
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Senior Commissioners’ Benefits
Score On Approval Anyone genuinely interested in becoming a Senior Commissioner is offered one week’s approval of the basic completed score. There is no obligation to take things further, if the prospective commissioner does not wish to do so, after playing through the piece. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS TERMS, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CONSORTIUM AS A SENIOR COMMISSIONER. |
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Wanted – Co-commissioners!
Co-commissioners will be at liberty to perform the work at their pleasure during the exclusivity period, once the world premiere on their instrument has been given.
Co-commissioners can also release self-promotional videos of their performances, from two months after the world premiere on their instrument
Co-Commissioners’ Benefits
No Score on Approval
Co-commissioners will not be sent a score on approval. Co-commissioner scores will become available on 04 November 2023.
FEE FOR JOINING THE CONSORTIUM AS A CO-COMMISSIONER: US$95.00 (£75.00)
PLEASE CONTACT ME , TO REGISTER!
Co-commissioners will be at liberty to perform the work at their pleasure during the exclusivity period, once the world premiere on their instrument has been given.
Co-commissioners can also release self-promotional videos of their performances, from two months after the world premiere on their instrument
Co-Commissioners’ Benefits
- To give State (and possibly national) premieres, and to perform the piece as often as you please, during the exclusivity period, once your instrument’s world premiere has been given
- To record a self-promotional video or audio recording, from two months after your instrument’s world premiere has been given
- To receive, as a group, third billing on the dedication/commissioning page (inside front page of the performance score), after the lead and senior commissioners
- A PDF performance score of Fantasia La Folia is included in the fee, becoming available on 04 November 2023.
- Each co-commissioner will also receive a complimentary PDF of Three Country Dances by the British/African freed-slave composer Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780) arr. Althea Talbot-Howard (2020/23), for treble & bass duet without piano – i.e. Oboe & Bassoon; Flute & Bass Clarinet; Alto & Bari Saxes, etc. Duration: 3-4 mins This score can be retained for one's own use: or donated to one's institutional library, if preferred - for student use. Please let me know your preference.
- A printed score of Fantasia La Folia (produced by Emerson Edition & dispatched or carried to the USA) will be available. There would be an additional charge for this.
- N.B. Co-commissioners are not obliged to live-stream any of their performances, unless they wish to do so.
No Score on Approval
Co-commissioners will not be sent a score on approval. Co-commissioner scores will become available on 04 November 2023.
FEE FOR JOINING THE CONSORTIUM AS A CO-COMMISSIONER: US$95.00 (£75.00)
PLEASE CONTACT ME , TO REGISTER!
