La Folia, 1490-1701

La Folia 1490 1701

The quality of the recording is very good. The performance has high points and low points. For one thing, someone keeps moaning and sighing loud enough during the performance so as to distract the listener at times. Sometimes the castinets and percussion seem to be a bit awkward. The music is beautiful and haunting enough to overlook these minor shortcomings. I still loved it!
Gil Sarabia December 18, 2007

Fabulous sound, sumptuous music

I have long been an ancient music aficionado, and I cannot believe the quality of playing and the sheer magnificence of the sound on this CD. Jordi Savall has produced a true masterpiece. October 25, 2007

Booty Baroque

Wonderful Music.
I am no expet, just a music lover. I burned this to my IPOD AT ONCE.
I play all the time August 11, 2007

One of the best "La Folias"

This CD contains a selection of Folia variations from Spain (mostly), Italy and France over a period of about 200 years. Savall and his ensemble are among the best -- their playing has a great richness to it. A very good anthology -- if you love "La Folia", you can't go wrong with this CD. September 11, 2006

Amazing variety and delight

This collection contains dances and variations written on an old Spanish dance pattern. While the entire disc can be said to include only a handful of different harmonies, the endless sets of variations are anything but boring. Instead, they constitue a musical journey that takes you through three countries and over two hundred years of music-making.

The journey begins in Spain, around the time Columbus made his famous voyages. The first variations are filled with spirit and joy and are both wild in nature and yet refined and exquisite under Savall's fingertips. After a set of five wonderful pieces, there next comes a later Spanish piece for gamba, continuo, and...castanets! This piece concludes with a rousing col legno section that needs to be heard to be believed.

Next is a great rendition of Corelli's Follias, also known as his 12th violin sonata. The volin part is played in a period arrangement for gamba, and Savall uses the treble instead of the bass viol for the part, which sounds great and offers a good opportunity to comapre the treble viol to the violin. Under Savall's touch, the viol gives the violin a run for the money! Great fun.

Lastly, we have Marais' masterful Follias d'Espangne, and after hearing them performed like they are here, what more can be said? This CD would make a wonderful purchase for yourself or a friend, and would be a great way to introduce someone to early music. This disc is yet another reminder of why Jordi Savall, as the previous reviewer so well put it, deserves to be considered among the top musicians of our day. Alia Vox does a great job of presenting these discs in great packages and with wonderful sound quality. The days of second-rate period instrument performances are coming to a close. July 1, 2005

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