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Arpafolia
By Anthony St. Pierre September 2019
 
Alto recorder & harp
 
 
The composer has written numerous sets of Folia variations for recorders and other media. All are available through the ARS Libraries. The present set, for alto recorder and harp, offers six highly contrasting variations on the famous Iberian dance tune. Often these variations will sound more like distant cousins to the Folia theme than first cousins or siblings.

The accompanying recording features the composer playing the recorder with harpist, Jacqueline Goring, who provided invaluable advice with respect to the harp part. Both the recorder and harp parts are accessible to players at the upper end of the intermediate skill spectrum.

Duration: 9:00
-- Anthony St. Pierre
 
Performance notes, prepared by the composer
 
Here we have a fun and approachable new set of variations on the famous Folia ground bass- except it’s got a lot of surprising harmonic twists and turns. There are occasional moments in 3 and 4 flats, and some low F#’s, but overall it sits very nicely on a recorder. If you have access to a harpist, you can’t pass up giving this one a go! It’s a rich concert-length piece with wonderful interplay, and some beautiful idiomatic harp writing.
-- Glen Shannon
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
1
Difficulty:
Moderate
Occasion:
Any
Libraries:
New Music for Recorder
Date Added:
12/16/2019
Style:
Concert, Fast/Up-tempo, Laid-back/Slow, Tonal/Melodic, Variations/Fantasies/Adaptations, Neo-Renaissance/Baroque/Classical