At 11:56 02-07-2003, Bradley Lehman wrote:

>Why the assumption that the whole Soler Fandango should be in a consistent
>tempo?  When I played it mid-1990s, I let it go all over the place and it
>was more exciting that way.  Gross ritardandi to emphasize surprising
>harmonic events, accelerandi for drive, the hands sometimes wildly
>disconnected from one another, etc.  Saucy, kind of a burlesque, with a
>mental image of a dancer going wild at some spots and holding back to
>collect some repose at other spots....
>
>I played those leaping passages on the fast side and
>didn't worry too much about getting all the notes carefully...it was "devil
>may care" and that's (I think) part of the piece.  Then for the last dozen
>bars or so I pushed the tempo faster and faster until it slams into the end
>like hitting a brick wall, exploding.  A fun way to end it.

Yes, agreed, and I am not trying to spoil the fun.  I am, however,
wondering what Soler had in mind.

At the recent Vermillion conference some of us heard Scarlatti played by
Luisa Morales, and simultaneously danced by Christóbal Salvador employing
traditional folk dance steps and castanets.  The dances were Bolero for
K.491 and K.380, and Seguidilla for K.376.  I was struck by the fact that
the music was slower than usually played.

Also at Vermillion, Sheli Nan played her Fandango Ardiente -- not slowly,
but also nowhere at break-neck speed.

So, what would Soler have expected for his Fandango?

david