LES FOLIES D’ESPAGNE – Marin Marais (Arr. María Ramos Dominguez)

“Les folies d’Espagne” by Marin Marais are composed in a magnificent as well as elegant way. The composer shows a wide timbral palette by creating a singular three-dimensional sound.

Belonging to the second volume of ‘Viola pieces’ published in 1701, Marin Marais declares as follows:

These pieces are written in a different way from the ones of the first volume. I have taken great care when composing them so that they can be played by all types of instruments, such as the organ, the harpsichord, the lute, the violin and the flute. I dare to state that this plan has been successful since I have played them with the last two instruments. […] The bass is quite melodic, which will greatly facilitate the task of anyone who takes the trouble to adapt it to each instrument in particular.  

Having said this, I am adapting this piece to solo saxophone with the aim of showing not only an honest respect for Marin Marais’ original version, but also a true example of the instrumental ingenuity that the saxophone offers us as a modern instrument.

In my adaptation, I show a compendium of exquisite and elegant sounds on the saxophone by using the timbral palette and the different registers, together with the articulation, figuration and ornamentation, but always intending to preserve the colour and variety of the original timbres.

Noble, intimate, vivacious, “leggiero”, majestic, deep, warm, sweetly… are terms that illustrate the baroque love for contrasts in tempos and dynamics, and at the same time they give every single “folie” [folia, madness] their own dance nature.

We have to be able to show our own voice through the saxophone, a voice where words stop. As Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe said to Marin Marais:

“Music exits to express what words cannot. This is why it is not completely human.”

All the mornings of the world.