Alberto Firrincieli: Thirteen New Variations on “La Folia”, for Harpsichord

About this edition

Alberto Firrincieli’s Thirteen New Variations on “La Folia” explores the familiar theme through contemporary writing for solo harpsichord. Rather than beginning with a conventional statement of the tune, the work presents repeated notes that gradually form clusters, allowing the theme to emerge harmonically as well as melodically.

The composer’s introduction describes a wide range of approaches: imitation, augmentation and diminution; rapid passages with crossed hands; ornamentation and arpeggios recalling the Baroque repertoire; and allusions to Liszt’s Rhapsodie espagnole and Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini. Later variations explore changing articulation, rhythmic counterpoint, contrasts between manuals and the alternation of simple and compound rhythmic groupings.

Performance information
The edition includes an English introduction, musical examples and instructions for the performer. It is written for a two-manual harpsichord with two 8-foot registers and a coupler, a 4-foot stop on the first manual and a lute stop on the second. Registrations are indicated at the beginning of each variation, with stop changes marked in boxes. Approximate metronome indications are provided; no transposition is required.