Music composed by Anthony L. Sanchez (b. 1988)
Theme under "Public Domain"
VST Playback via Finale
Photograph by the composer: taken at the Alcazar in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain in December 2023
Score available on Patreon: / variations-on-la-15017186
Audiovisuals edited using YouCut: https://app.youcut.net/BestEditor
Copyright © 2024 by ZEKE SPILLED INK MUSIC (ASCAP), Savannah, GA
Program Notes:
For centuries, composers have taken short musical themes, either original or borrowed, and experimented with ways of writing them differently. I find the "Theme and Variations" subgenre very intriguing because it opens up many creative possibilities. The theme for “Variations on ‘La Folia’” (2011-12) for piano comes from an ancient Portuguese tune, which roughly translates in English to “The Revelry.” Many illustrious composers have written variations on this theme through the ages: from Antonio Vivaldi to Sergei Rachmaninov.
When I began writing the “Variations on ‘La Folia’” in the summer of 2011,” I largely drew inspiration from the variations of the two composers mentioned above. My set of twelve variations is also deeply rooted in the music of nineteenth and twentieth century Spanish and French composers. Of course, I also wanted to strive for some originality with this piece. That is why the variations in my work are cyclical; they follow each other without much pause, unlike most "Theme and Variations" pieces that stop after each variation. Also, unlike previous “La Folia” variation pieces, I created a new set of variations for piano that balances musical technique and modern sounds without going to extremes on both ends. My Variations on "La Folia" can also be used as pedagical material for Piano students from the "Late-Intermediate" to ""Early-Advanced" levels because each variation addresses rapid piano playing and complex technical passages.
Theme under "Public Domain"
VST Playback via Finale
Photograph by the composer: taken at the Alcazar in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain in December 2023
Score available on Patreon: / variations-on-la-15017186
Audiovisuals edited using YouCut: https://app.youcut.net/BestEditor
Copyright © 2024 by ZEKE SPILLED INK MUSIC (ASCAP), Savannah, GA
Program Notes:
For centuries, composers have taken short musical themes, either original or borrowed, and experimented with ways of writing them differently. I find the "Theme and Variations" subgenre very intriguing because it opens up many creative possibilities. The theme for “Variations on ‘La Folia’” (2011-12) for piano comes from an ancient Portuguese tune, which roughly translates in English to “The Revelry.” Many illustrious composers have written variations on this theme through the ages: from Antonio Vivaldi to Sergei Rachmaninov.
When I began writing the “Variations on ‘La Folia’” in the summer of 2011,” I largely drew inspiration from the variations of the two composers mentioned above. My set of twelve variations is also deeply rooted in the music of nineteenth and twentieth century Spanish and French composers. Of course, I also wanted to strive for some originality with this piece. That is why the variations in my work are cyclical; they follow each other without much pause, unlike most "Theme and Variations" pieces that stop after each variation. Also, unlike previous “La Folia” variation pieces, I created a new set of variations for piano that balances musical technique and modern sounds without going to extremes on both ends. My Variations on "La Folia" can also be used as pedagical material for Piano students from the "Late-Intermediate" to ""Early-Advanced" levels because each variation addresses rapid piano playing and complex technical passages.
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