2.picc.2.corA.3.bcl.2.dbn-4.3.3.1-timp.perc(2):vib/Chin.cym/2susp.
cym/bongos/BD/bell-tree/tgl/tam-t(med)/marimba/tam-t(lg)/crot/mark tree/spring coil/Chin.cym(lg)/2susp.cym(med,lg)/4tom-t-harp-pft(=cel)-strings
The word Feria is Spanish for an outdoor festival or fair, the exuberance of which is alluded to in this work. In the fast opening section the explosive, rhythmic ideas, especially the trumpet fanfares which are a recurring motive of the piece, herald a lively public spectacle.
The mainly slower-paced central section reaches a point of focus which may be recognised as a chord progression from Monteverdi’s "Lasciatemi morire" (Lament of Arianna). The allusion grew naturally out of the work’s material during the process of composition, rather as if when viewing an essentially abstract painting a recognisable human face can suddenly appear.
Magnus Lindberg
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"Feria's tight trumpet fanfares burst in with all the fiesta energy of its Spanish title..."
The Times
"Lindberg's orchestration is a marvel; busy, highly coloured, but always clear. He freezes time with sustained harmonies that harbour all kinds of micro-activity."
Daily Telegraph
