These Variations on “La Folia” for Two Violins are composed mostly in the Italian style of Paganini, incorporating a healthy use of double-stops, virtuosic wrting for the violin, and so on. However, some variations could easily be called Baroque, some Classical, and one is definitely 20th century a la Ravel or Respighi. “La Folia” means “The Madness” and is related to English words such as “Fool”, “Folly” and so on. Each variation aims to depict this in some way or another. The last variations build to an exciting grand finale that includes elements of some of the previous variations of which the I am most fond.

This is a live performance by yours truly and my dear friend Stephen Daniels given on Sunday, July 19th 2009 at the Seattle Historicist Composers Concert at St. John United Lutheran Church sponsored by the Delian Society.

Enjoy!

---Matt