On today’s Noontime Concert on The Classical Network, we go mad for the folia.
Of course “folia” means madness, or folly. This anonymous dance of Iberian origin has been a classical music earworm since at least the 15th century.
The folia started out as a fertility dance in three-four time. It was fast-paced and even tumultuous, with cross-dressing men borne on the shoulders of dancers, said to be driven mad by the stirring rhythm. Over time, the dance insinuated its way into the royal courts of Europe, and the tempo became more stately.
Allegedly Jean-Baptiste Lully was the first to legitimize the “later folia,” in a work published in 1672 (though there were earlier examples published by Gaspar Sanz and Francesco Corbetta). The folia became codified as a kind of passacaglia, with a fixed melody supported by a standard chord progression.
Since then, more than 150 composers have been infected by the Folia Bug, over a span of more than three centuries. Baroque composers, in particular, were crazy for it, with Corelli’s trio sonata arguably being the most famous. In the 20th century, Rachmaninoff and Ponce were all too ready to “go there.”
Today’s program, presented by the Belladonna Baroque Quartet, will include folias from Spain, Italy and France, alongside pieces built upon other ground bass dances and those that incorporate dance rhythms into their structures.
The program was presented on November 2, 2017 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, 50th Street and Park Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, where free lunchtime concerts are held every Thursday at 1:15 p.m. The 2017-2018 schedule has run its course, but concerts will resume in the fall.
Today’s broadcast is made possible in part by Gotham Early Music Scene, or GEMS. GEMS is a non-profit corporation that supports and promotes artists and organizations in New York City devoted to early music – music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical periods. For more information and updates to GEMS’ events calendar, look online at gemsny.org.
Then stick around for more madness, as we present Carl Orff’s settings of poetry by the debauched monks of Benediktbeuren Abbey, “Carmina Burana.” It’s one of our featured highlights, on this, Orff’s birthday.
Tune in for Belladonna Baroque’s “Follies Festival” at 12 p.m. EDT. I’ll be dancing and drinking until 4, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.