La Folia: C.P.E. Bach, Corelli, Geminiani, Marais, A. Scarlatti, Vivaldi
The Purcell Quartet; Robert Wooley, harpsichord (Hyperion)
Beginning in the 17th Century, an anonymous dance tune known as “La Folia” captivated countless composers who employed it as a theme for sets of variations. The set that inspired most of the rest was by Italian violin teacher Arcangelo Corelli. In the mid 1980s, Hyperion issued six CDs that each included a set of “La Folia” variations along with other music by the composers. Now the British label has collected just the variations on a single disc that proves a marvel of invention. Written for solo harpsichord, viola da gamba and string ensembles of varying size, the works receive such spirited performances on period instruments that we are reminded of how the original “La Folia” was thought to represent dancers “out of their minds.” Terrific!
