This violin sonata, nicknamed Faula (pronounced ‘FOWL-ah’, a “fable” in Catalan) is a piece born from a desire to craft a collection of compact movements favoring playful immediacy. Drawing from an eclectic palette that includes Catalan folksong, 18th-century Classicism, neo-Romanticism, early Modernism, and fleeting glimpses of jazz, this work seeks to capture a series of fairytale-like scenes.

The first movement is inspired by Aesop’s fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, describing the latter’s carefree spirit during the abundance of summer. Here, pastoral melodic lines, reminiscent of Catalan folksong, contrast with occasional hints of menace from the ant’s admonishments.

The second movement is based on Oscar Wilde’s The Rose and the Nightingale. In it, the title character sacrifices her life by singing all night while pressing her heart against a thorn, in order create a red rose for a young student to give to the girl he loves. However, the girl rejects the rose in favor of jewels from a rich suitor, leading the disillusioned student to conclude that love is foolish.

The third movement takes as its muse the Romance of Renard, a medieval French tale chronicling the adventures of a cunning anthropomorphic fox disguised as a knight. Here, the music turns sly and agile, weaving together mischievous episodes that mirror the main character’s wit and guile.

Duration: ca. 13’40”