Les Folies d'Espagne Variées et un menuet, Op. 15(a) by Fernando Sor played by Nichita Gînscă Nistea

Nichita Gînscă Nistea playing Les Folies d'Espagne Variées et un menuet, Op. 15(a) by Fernando Sor
Guitar by luthier: Slavko Mrdalj
Strings: Savarez 510AJ Alliance Cantiga
Guitar support: ErgoPlay
Armpad: Luva Hard with rigid support
Audio captured with: Zoom H2n
Video captured with: Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000
Sor’s Folies d’Espagne [op. 15a] is one of his most delightful works, published in Paris in about 1822-25 with the title Les Folies d’Espagne, variées, et un Menuet. A theme and four variations in E minor followed by a minuet, it shows a natural musical gift, lyricism, and strength: surely one of the most attractive guitar pieces of this period.
Of ancient Portuguese origins, the theme of Les folies d’Espagne has inspired an infinite number of composers, including those of modern times. For his variations Sor adopted the E minor tonality rather than the more established D minor. [...] Sor’s writing uses the rules of diminished and embellished variations. It is not clear if the final Minuet was thought to be an integral part of the work or suggested by the editor to fill a gap. One can’t help remembering the variations entitled Variationes sobre un tema de Sor, which guitarist Miguel Llobet, like Sor from Barcelona but born exactly 100 years later, wrote as a transcription of Sor’s variations and adding his own. [Mario Dell’Ara © 2019]