Vol 6

Allegro by Fiocco and the Problem of Speed

This well-known Allegro was written by G.H. Fiocco (1703-41), Belgian composer-violinist of Italian ancestry, whose early death at the age of 38 deprived us of the wealth of music he undoubted would have created had he lived longer. He is yet another one in the long list of composers who wrote the eternal masterpieces we love, but tragically left us far, far too soon. Just imagine the treasures we should be enjoying from Mozart and Schubert, who died at just 35 and 31 respectively, had they lived as long as Verdi, who was still composing in his mid 80s before dying at 87, or Irving Berlin – who lasted 101 years!

Today Fiocco’s Allegro is performed mainly as a violin showpiece or an encore and is rarely heard in its original form – for keyboard. It was a favourite teaching piece of Suzuki’s, often featuring in group sessions about playing in a fast tempo and rapid string crossings.

The Main Points

Before going into details about the piece just yet, let’s look at two general points about speed that relate to Allegro:

1. Quick String Crossings.

Suzuki taught a simple exercise for this technique which works particularly well, because it isolates the action into the most basic form – a very sound principle, by the way, for improving almost any skill. Essentially it was this: he played a long series of rapid A-E-A-E open string crossings which we would play back to him – the exact same number of notes he played, at the same tempo.

It sounds easy to do, doesn’t it? If you’re a teacher or an experienced player it is easy. Young students usually find it harder to do for two reasons:

• The rhythm and its relationship to the number of strokes. Playing a series of rapid A to E or D to G string crossings spontaneously sets up a beat, a pulse that allows us to speed up more easily than if there was no beat. The rhythm also assists us to sense and stop at the exact number of crossings without having to count. Try it. Once students catch this idea, it’d not too long before they can play a very long series of say, four and a half measures of semiquavers (1/16th notes).

• Incorrect right arm motion. If the bow arm is moving excessively, it becomes ungainly and cumbersome as it gets faster. When you teach them how to move between strings economically in small circles with flexible fingers, there is an immediate difference. It’s easier to go faster – and the tone is better.

2. Rapid bow strokes, quick fingers.

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La Folia by Corelli, arranged Suzuki – Part 1

Italian Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), composer of La Folia, had a profound influence on both the development of violin playing and composition for the violin.

His pupils included virtuoso-composers Francesco Geminiani, Pietro Locatelli, Pietro Castrucci and Francesco Gasparini. The repercussions of his work extended throughout Europe – to J.S. Bach, Handel, Scarlatti and Vivaldi, yet his range on the violin was limited to the 3rd position D on the E string.

Suzuki arranged and rewrote La Folia for young violinists, with original material and from Geminiani’s variations.

I credit Italian virtuoso Salvatore Accardo and his recording of Corelli’s La Folia for helping me improve vibrato. When I first heard his performance I immediately thought, “Oh, I want what he’s got!” Needless to say I didn’t achieve the level of his amazing vibrato, but it did give me a clear vision of the vibrato I wanted. (And in truth, I haven’t stopped trying to improve it. It is one of those musical skills that you can keep on refining for lifetime. See my post on Vibrato here). Among other stellar musical achievements, Accardo is renowned for his performances of Paganini’s caprices and concerti.

La Folia has a long history, with origins in the 15th Century. Essentially it’s a set of variations on a theme, using a 16 bar chord progression. At least 150 composers have used it in various forms. Suzuki’s arrangement is actually closer to Geminiani’s variations in Concerto Grosso XII in D Minor “Follia” than Corelli’s composition.

For teaching and study, I want to talk about the theme and each of the following 13 variations separately – touching on both musical and technical perspectives, highlighting the sections where young students typically experience problems or technical challenges. Let’s start with a summary of the variations:

1. Adagio – These opening 16 bars play La Folia’s Theme with the underlying harmonic progression – pure and simple.
2. Allegretto – A syncopated variation, with emphasis shifted from the first to second beat of the measures.
3. Allegro Moderato – A variation played mainly with equally accented staccato strokes – similar to martelé strokes.
4. Poco meno mosso – Rapid semiquavers. Paradoxically, poco meno mosso means slightly slower – just when it seems we have to do the opposite.
5. Unmarked – An unstressed upbow on the first beat creates emphasis on the 2nd beat.
6. Andante – The metre changes from triple to duple, i.e. 3/4 to 4/4 (Common Time), creating an ambience of tranquil serenity, leading to double stopped chords.
7. Allegro – More staccato in this variation, with upper and lower parts to the melody.
8. No marking – Common time develops into compound time of 12/8 – maintaining the 4 beats, and grouped in quaver triplets. On the 3rd beat are scale-like runs, first with semiquavers (1/16ths) then demisemiquavers (1/32nds).
9. Adagio – Returns to triple time in this slow variation with notes tied over the beats.
10. Allegro – The variation lopes along with leaps looking for the 3rd beat, flipping over to the first beat after 8 measures.
11. No marking – Here’s some more obvious syncopation: off the beat. Try tapping your foot!
12. No marking – The tied notes across the bar in this variation alter our sense of the time – perhaps to 3/2, or a duple hybrid of 2/4 – 2/2.
13. No marking – Here are the chords again from the Andante variation, with an alternating lower melody. At the end is my favourite passage of broken 3 note chords.
14. Le Grand Finale – The finale convincingly wraps up La Folia with some serious drama.

La Folia: Theme and Variations

1. Adagio. Here is the simplicity and beauty of the theme, defining the character and style of the music.

Whole bows play the opening notes, immediately providing shape to the melody. Dotted crotchets (1/4 notes) giving substance to the second beat. The melody is sustained for the first 8 bars, a great opportunity for expressive vibrato.

Take care with C# in measures 2 and 8. It has a dual function: as a melody note (underpinned harmonically by an A Major chord) and as the leading note for D (in our key of D minor). This accounts for a tendency to play C# too sharp – even occasionally on some professional recordings. In measure 7 and particularly measure 15, where it serves as a leading tone, C# can be stretched upwards with less danger. Read More →