Six Variations on Folies d’Espagne, Op.45 by Mauro Giuliani

VI Variations sur les Folies d’Espagne, Op.45 by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) & Lesson for Classical Guitar. See my PDF sheet music edition at Werner Guitar Editions. Includes both a Notation-Only Edition and a TAB Edition. Late-Intermediate to Advanced but it depends on your tempo (Approximately Grade 9). See lesson video for more info on the level. Left Hand Fingering. PDF download. 

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VI Variations sur les Folies d’Espagne, Op.45 (Six Variations on the theme of Folies d’Espagne) by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829). This is a great work that I’ve used many times to transition intermediate students into the advanced level. It’s not Giuliani’s most ambitious set of variations by any means. As long as intermediate students have their technique of scales, arpeggios, barre, slurs, and stretch are under control it’s an accessible work. That said, in the hands of a professional it can be taken well into the advanced level with higher tempos. 

The folies d’Espagne or folias is a famous theme mainly presented as a chord progression, probably of Iberian origin. From the Renaissance to today it has become a popular theme for variations. Baroque guitarists and lutenists used the theme regularly as did major composers such as Handel, Corelli, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. Guitarists, such Sor in his Op.15, love the theme for its simplicity and how it lends itself to a variety of textures from arpeggios to melodic embellishment. The theme is also known as La Folía, or Follies of Portugal, folies du Portugal or folies d’Espagne, La Follia, and Folias. You can read the wiki on folios here. Here’s my YouTube Lesson Link if you want to watch it there. 

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Bradford Werner
Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 94,000 subscribers and 13 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.

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  1. Hello , Teacher Werner!
    Your vídeo classes are excent, fantastic!
    My congratulations and many thanks!

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