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Folia in Oxford Music Online

OxfordMusicOnline
GroveMusicOnline
Folia
articleurl:http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com:80/subscriber/article/grove/music/09929

Folia

(Port.,It.[It.occasionallyfollia]Sp.folaFr.folie).
AtermforamusicalframeworkusedduringtheBaroqueperiodforsongs,dancesandsetsofvariations.Inthelate17th
centuryarelated,alternativeformgainedpopularityandforsometimecoexistedwiththeoriginalmodel.

1.Origins.
Thehistoryofthefoliapredatestheearliestsurvivingmusicalsources.Adancecalledfoliawaspopularinlate15th
centuryPortugalitprobablyoriginatedasafolkdance,butPortuguesesourcesoftheperiodmentionfoliassungand
dancedduringbothpopularfestivalsandcourtlyspectacles(Vasconcelos,1904).FoliatextsappearinPortuguesein
theatricalworksbyGilVicente(c1465c1536)andinSpanishbyDiegoSnchezdeBadajoz(c1460c1536).Sungon
stagebyanensembleproperlydressedforthefolia(Vicente,TriunfodoInverno),theyretainapopulartoneanda
metricalformcharacterizedbyarefrainoftwo,threeorfourlines(Rey,1978).Thefewdescriptionsofthefoliadance
containingspecificreferencestoitsperformancemannerdatefromthebeginningofthe17thcentury.In1611Sebastin
deCovarrubias(Tesorodelalenguacastellana)describedthefoliaasaPortuguesedance,verynoisy,performedwith
tambourinesandotherinstrumentsbydisguisedstreetporterscarryingyoungmeninwomensclothingontheirshoulder.
Healsoexplainedthatthename,whichmeansmadoremptyheaded,wasappropriatebecausethedancewassofast
andnoisythatthedancersseemedoutoftheirminds.GonzaloCorrea(Artedelalenguacastellana,1626)relatedthe
poeticformofthefoliatothatoftheseguidillaandaddedthattheperformancewasaccompaniedbyguitarandsonajas
andpandero(typesoftambourine).
SincenomusicforVicentesandBadajozsplayssurvives,therelationshipbetweensuchtraditionsandtheharmonic
melodicformulaknownlaterasthefoliaremainssomewhatobscure.Someearlierscholars(Gombosi,Ward)locatedthe
originsoffoliamusicintheSpanishandItalianvocalrepertoryofthelate15thandearly16thcenturies.Similarities
betweentheharmonicstructureofthe17thcenturyfoliaandthechordprogressionsfoundinsomevillancicosinthe
CancionerodePalacio(EMp1335ananthologycompiledinSpainfortheReyesCatlicosFerdinandandIsabellain
about1500)aswellasinsomefrottolasprintedbyPetrucciandAnticohaveledtothesuggestionthatthefoliamodel
wasalreadyatworkinthesecompositions.However,likeotherdanceformsandostinatotypes,thefoliadidnotconsist
merelyofachordprogression,butincludedacomplexofotherdistinctivemusicalelementssuchasmetricpatterns,
rhythmicandmelodicfigures,cadentialformulaeandsoforth.Theisolatedappearanceofthechordprogression,often
fragmented,incompositionswhosestructureandcharacterarealtogetherdifferentmaynothavebeenassociatedwith
thefoliamusic.Onthecontrary,theuseinearly16thcenturycompositionsofchordsequencessimilartothoseofthe
foliawouldsimplyseemtosuggestacommonmusicalidiomgravitatingtowardcertainstandardprogressions.

2.Theearlyfolia.
TheearliestextantcompositiontousethefoliaprogressioninanostinatofashionistheFantasiaquecontrahazelaharpa
inAlonsoMudarrasTreslibrosdemsicaencifrasparavihuelaof1546(Griffiths,1986).Thetitlefoliafirstappearedin
1577,however,inFranciscodeSalinassDemusicalibriseptem.ThemelodygivenbySalinas(onp.309),and
associatedwiththetextNomedigaysmadremaldepadrefrayAntondoesnotfitthefoliaschemeindeed,itisthetune
ofVeritatefactaonthepreviouspagethatappearsinthenextcenturyasthefoliamelody(ex.1).Somedifferenciasde
folasmaybefoundinananonymousmanuscriptcollectionofmusicforvihueladated1593(Ramilletedefloresnuevas,
EMn6001).InItaliansourcesthetermmakesitsfirstappearancein1604,inasetofvariationsbyG.G.Kapsberger
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(Libroprimodiintavolaturadichitarrone).ThereisnodoubtthatthefoliawasenjoyinggreatpopularityinItalybytheearly
17thcentury.Thechordstobestrummedastheaccompanimenttothefoliawereincludedinmorethan50tablaturesfor
thefivecourseguitar,beginningwithGirolamoMontesardosNuovainventionedintavolatura(1606).

Ex.1 HypotheticalharmonisationofthefoliamelodygiveninSalinas:Demusicalibriseptem(1577)(melodyintenor)

Ex.2showsthemusicaldesignoftheearly17thcenturyfolia.Theupperstaffprovidesthemelodicframework,although
theprecisemelodyvaries.Thelowerstaffgivesthesimplesttypeofguitaraccompaniment,withthenotesrepresenting
chordsandthestemsshowingthestrummingdirection.Twofourbarritornellosmayoccurbetweenrenditionsofthe16
barstructureoccasionallythelatterhalfisrepeated.Theopeningtwobeatsofanacrusisaresometimesomitted,butin
anycasethefirstaccentalwaysfallsontheVchord.Thestrokepatterncontinuallyemphasizes3/4metre,whereasboth
themelodyandtheharmonicchangesoftenoscillatebetween3/2and6/4.ThoughmostofteninGminor,thefoliamay
becastinotherkeysor,rarely,inthemajormodesometimesbothmajorandminormodesalternatewithinasingle
statementofthescheme.Thestructuralchordsofthefoliaformulamaybereachedbywayofintermediarychords.
Examplesofthispracticeaboundinguitarbooksofthefirsthalfofthe17thcentury.Theseusuallypresentaseriesof
folias,eachconsistingofasinglestatementofthescheme,andeachaddingdifferentchordstotheframeworkofex.2
thesepieceswereprobablyintendedaspedagogicalexamples.Somesourcessuggestthatthefoliawasstillsungin
early17thcenturySpainLuisdeBrieo,inhisMtodomuifacilissimo(Paris,1626),providedtextsaswellasguitar
music.InItalytextswerenotusuallygivenwithguitarfolias,butthemusicalframeworkisindicatedforuseinsinging
poetryinIFr2793,2951,2973(III)andFnXIX143and,inkeyboardnotation,inIFnXIX115.Amonodybasedonthe
ariadellafoliaappearsinGiovanniStefanisScherziamorosiof1622.

Ex.2 Theearlyfolia

SetsofinstrumentalvariationsonthefoliawerewrittenforguitarbyA.M.Bartolotti(1640),Foscarini(c1640)andCorbetta
(1643,1648,1671and1674),forchitarronebyAlessandroPiccinini(1623),fortwoviolinsandcontinuobyFalconieri
(1650)andforkeyboardbyFrescobaldi(1615),BernardoStorace(1664),Ximnez(d1672)andCabanilles(1694).Early
18thcenturyexamplesalsoappearinPortugueseandSpanishmanuscripts(PPm1577,Loc.B,5andEMn153860).
InhisNovainventionedintavolaturaMontesardoclaimedthatthemusicthattheSpanishcalledfoliawasknownamong
Italiansasfedele(FoliachiamatacosdagliSpagnuoli,chedaItalianisichiamaFedele).Inreality,foliawastheterm
commonlyadoptedinItalianprints,butsomecomposersdidpreferthenamefedele,includingTrabaci(1603),Mayone
(1603),FrancescoLambardi(GBLblAdd.30491,c1617),P.A.Giramo(asetofthreevoicepartiteonthetextFillimia,
FillicarainArieapivoci,c1650)andCristoforoCaresana(1693).Twovariationsonfedeleforguitarwithbasscourses
alsosurviveinINc1321.AsMontesardosuggests,nosignificantdifferencesseemtodistinguishtheexamplesoffedele
fromthoseoffolia.FedelesettingstendtousethefirstinversionofIVinthethirdand11thbarsofex.2.Butthesame
variant,whichcanbeeasilyexplainedasamerevariationinthepartwriting,occasionallyappearsalsoinpieceslabelled
folia.ThereasonwhyItaliancomposersadoptedsuchterminologicaldistinctionthusremainsambiguous.
ThenameLagamba,transmittedexclusivelyin16thcenturysources,seemstohavedesignatedaratherdifferentdance
type.AlthoughLagambasettingssharethesamechordprogressionasthefolia,theydifferfromthefoliamusicinother
respects,specificallyintheirrhythmicshape.Moreover,theyusuallyterminateeachstatementoftheformulawitha
reiterationofthesamechordsequenceinshorternotevalues.Althoughnotidentifiedassuch,DiegoOrtizsrecercada
quartaandrecercadaottava(Trattadodeglosas,1553)correspondtotheLagambamodel.Inthe16thcenturyamusical
frameworkveryclosetoLagambacirculatedunderthenameCaracossa(orCaracos(s)a),especiallyinnorthEuropean
printsandmanuscripts.NumerousexamplesappearinPhalsescollections,oftenintheguiseofagaillarde(seeApfel
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19767).

3.Thelatefolia.
Inthecourseofthe1670sthefoliaschemeunderwentsomedecisivetransformations.Lully,whocomposedtheearliest
knownexampleofthenewfoliamodel(anAirdeshautboisdated1672inFV168),nodoubtplayedavitalroleinthelate
historyofthegenre.HisfoliasettingsseemtohaveexertedastronginfluenceonFrenchmusicians,contributingtothe
definitionofadistinctivelocalidiom.FrancescoCorbetta,oneofthemostcelebratedguitarvirtuososofhistime,who
emigratedtoFranceinabout1648,mighthavebeeninpartresponsibleforthistransformation,assomeofthe
characteristictraitsofthelatefoliaarealreadydiscernibleinhisworks.ThenewstructuredevelopedbyLullyandhis
FrenchcolleaguesremainedpopularinFranceandEnglanduntiltheendoftheBaroqueperiod.InFranceitwasoften
calledfolie(s)dEspagne,inEnglandFarinell(i)sGround.Corbettastwosetsofvariations(Laguitarreroyalle,Paris,
1671)beganwithastatementoftheschemeinex.2inwhichallsecondbeatsweredotted.Thisthrewapowerful
secondaryaccentontheopeningchord,asignificantdetailthatmayhaveactedasatransitiontothenewrhythmic
structureemployedbythelaterfolia(ex.3).Acomparisonoflikenumberedbarsrevealsthatthechordprogressionof
ex.3issimilartothatofex.2,especiallywhenIIIisinsertedinthefifthbar.ButinthelaterfoliathefirstaccentfallsonI,
witharesultingshiftintherhythmicstructure.Thealmostfixedmelodyshowninex.3movesa3rdlowerthanthemelody
inex.2,withsecondbeatsdotted,particularlyintheoddnumberedbars.Thesecondbeataccentuationmaybethe
reasonwhyTaubert(RechtschaffenerTanzmeister,1717)andMattheson(DervollkommeneCapellmeister,1739,p.230)
relatedthefoliatothesaraband.Thelaterfoliahasnoritornellos,isalmostalwaysinDminor(transposedinex.3to
facilitatecomparison),andisgenerallyslowanddignified.SomeSpanishsourcescontainexamplesofbothtypesoffolia
(EMn811and1360,dated1705and1709EBc1453).IntheReglasyadvertenciasgeneralesofPabloMinguetyYrol
(1754),theearliertypeiscalledfolasespagolasandthelatertypefolasitalianas.

Ex.3 Thelaterfolia

AmongtheearliestexamplesofthelaterfoliatypearesomelutevariationsinthePicesde
luthcomposessurdiffrensmodesofJacquesGallot,whichdatefromaroundthesame
timesasLullysAirdeshautbois(1672).ThenewfoliafirstappearedinSpaininGaspar
SanzsInstruccindemsicasobrelaguitarraespaola(1674)andinEnglandin1682as
themusicforTheKingsHealth,apoliticaltextbyThomasDUrfey,followedbyvariations
forrecorderin1683(inHumphreySaltersTheGenteelCompanion)andviolinin1685
(JohnPlayfordsTheDivisionViolin).Liketheearlierfolia,thistypewasusedasascheme
forsongsanddances,aswellasthesubjectofvariationsets.ItappearedasasonginDie
grossmchtigeThalestrisofJ.P.Frtsch(1690),asARoyallOdeforthecoronationof
QueenAnnein1702(containedinACollectionoftheChoicestSongs,GBLblG.304),in
FoliedEspagne:engravingfrom
TheBeggarsOpera(1728)andinLethtredelafoireofLeSageandDOrneval(1724
LambranzisNeueundcurieuse
theatrialischeTantzSchul
37)anditispresentedasadanceinthebooksofFeuillet(1700),GregorioLambranzi
(1716seeillustration)andTaubert(1717).ThenumeroussetsofvariationsincludethosebyCorelli(1700)and
Albicastro(c1700)forviolin,Marais(1701)forviol,DAnglebert(1689),AlessandroScarlattiandC.P.E.Bach(1778)for
keyboard,andVivaldi(1705)forchamberensemble.TheschemeisquotedinKeisersDerlcherlichePrintzJodelet
(1726),BachsPeasantCantata,GrtrysLesfaussesapparences,ouLamantjaloux(1778)andtheovertureto
Htellerieportugaise(1798)byCherubini.LaterworksusingthefoliaareLisztsRhapsodieespagnole(1863),Carl
NielsensMaskarade(1906)andRachmaninoffsVariationsonaThemebyCorelliop.42(1932).

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GiuseppeGerbino,AlexanderSilbiger

CopyrightOxfordUniversityPress20072016.

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