Principles of Music: The "La Folía" Progression

I had to re-upload this video due to an error, I also changed the thumbnail because I found the old one visually too busy.
In this video I discuss how composers over the last 400 years have made use of the Folia chord progression.
A special thanks as always to musopen.org and imslp.org for offering free public domain sheet music and recordings online.

[@MusicaUniversalis]

A message to my subscribers: I've noticed in the comments some interest in how I compose and what methods I personally use. This got me thinking about offering online lessons to anyone who might be interested. There are so many things that I just can't explain in a youtube video format, and explaining them would be far easier in a group or 1 on 1 lesson setting, so reply to or "like" this comment if you'd be interested in that sort of thing. I'll need to set up a lesson plan and work on what I feel to be a fair pricing structure, so at the moment I'm just testing the waters to see if there would be any interest, so let me know! Edit: I set it up, here‘s the link to book a lesson: calendly.com/musicauniversalis

[@StatischBenutzer]

I'd be interested

[@lunar.6091]

I’m interested

[@jan_Ameki]

Definitely interested! (if affordable :D)

[@modernclassicalmusic8942]

Sounds interesting

[@MusicaUniversalis]

Thanks for the interest guys, here’s the link to book a lesson: calendly.com/musicauniversalis

[@hugo6489]

I would like to point out that, although FOLIA, or its derivatives, means madness in all other Romance languages, it actually has a different meaning in Portuguese language: it means merriment and jollity.

[@grantrousseau]

I would like to point out that, at 1:22 there is a footnote already mentioning this.

[@wanna542]

@@grantrousseau thank you. As the footnote you've so kindly pointed out states "modern translation", it was a bit confusing, since 'folia', in Portuguese, didn't change its meaning in modern days... it always meant merriment. There are plenty of words that, God knows why, have a different meaning in Portuguese when compared to Romance languages... I think the confusion started because, when Lully and others used the Folia progression, Portugal was under Spanish rule... or maybe not, who knows...

[@Suikevrije]

@@wanna542 Portugal is not indoeuropean.

[@ellenharold5191]

Is it pronounced with the accent on the first syllable in Portuguese? In French and Italian it is pronounced with the accent on the “i”, but American musicians seem always to pronounce it with the stress on the “o”, accent marks to the contrary.

[@ellenharold5191]

@@Gianni_Scchichi Thanks. I guess it's hopeless to expect English singers to pronounce it properly.

[@gre7310]

the "7-3" feels like a perfect cadence, where the "7" is a secondary dominant, tonicizing the "3" for a brief moment.

[@inanis9801]

carefully, if you explore that line of thought too much you'll end up a jazz musician.

[@pgmorrow]

Apparently this is also the progression used in "Oops I Did It Again" by Britney Spears. (I'm not so clever; I saw it in another video.)

[@AmeeliaK]

And Vangelis' 1492

[@PurpleRevolutionMusic]

final fantasy 9's vamo alla flamenco is also based on the late folia, except for the final cadenza which is a bit more sophisticated. I wrote my Bachelor thesis in music theory about the folia. nice to see others interested in the topic. The model for the variations of the late folia is btw older than you would think. I found it mentioned by guillelmus monacchus, an early renaissance monk and music theorist, in the late 1400s

[@GoddessPallasAthena]

OH MY!! You're right!! How did I not realize this? I've loved many variations of La Folia (ever since I began to get Renaissance recordings and also, was pointed out that Handel's famous Sarabande in d minor - my ultimate favorite piece - has similar sounds to Folia) and I've loved Vamos Alla Flamenco since I played FF IX (well, most of it - never finished). Now I need to go listen to that. Thank you for pointing it out!

[@AmeeliaK]

Have you published your Bachelor thesis somewhere? I'd be interested to read it.

[@motionista]

And here I were thinking what does it remind me of :D One of the favourite melodies from one of the favourite games

[@grafvonjolly]

FolÍa, damn it. It has a tilde, signaling a strong tonic.

[@encyclopediapierciana6815]

Great to know all this-- one of the most universal of themes for 200 years or so-- or even now! It has a compelling character that is almost hypnotic. Correction - it IS hypnotic. You could go into a trance and just hear this for hours, and still find it compelling! Thanks for the in-depth info!

[@whatabouttheearth]

Yet the Folia rose to it's apex with the timelessly exquisite and masterful composition of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' by Britney Spears 😂

[@tomlindsay4629]

I really enjoy Salieri's progressions too. Thank you for the education and background on some of my favorite music.

[@knight10666]

There is actually an example of a late folia progression in Le Ballet Royal de la Nuit from 1653 as a Spanish character dance.

[@jorgemarmion-stus2923]

GREAT video! Since I was a teenager , and played in a rock'n roll band, I was amazed by Salieri's work. No internet then, so I never knew what this folia was about, but I kept thinking: "how can you develop such a beautiful piece of music with just a couple of notes?". Now I know; thanks! May I mention that even Beethoven use this Folia progression in his 5th Symphony?

[@淨硯楊]

Yes, II movement

[@anoNEMOs]

This channel is underrated

[@guilhermetinoss]

Great video! Manuel Maria Ponce also did a serie of variations on La follia for guitar. I recommend lookong for this, its pretty amazing!

[@alexandrevitor4200]

Fernando Sor also did 2 variations and Miguel Llobet added more 8 variations and a intermezzo, very beautiful as well.

[@leighclark5257]

Beautiful, concise exposition. Thank you. This is enormously useful.

[@Botoyaa]

Nice work, didn't know about Salaries Variations. Its one of my favorite Themes out there

[@chikyushimin]

great video, as usual! Your content keeps getting better. Please don't stop!

[@classicalguitargirl]

Marais Folia variations for viola da gamba are amazing

[@SpektralJo]

OK I didn't expect to find this great channel by simply searching die folia. I guess I have something to binge

[@TheTristanmarcus]

The most unusual appearance is in the slow movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, in a short interlude 😊

[@Fritz1457]

Nice video, I found it thanks to the algorithm. Until then, I had a vague idea of what a Follia was, and, for me, besides being a dance, it mainly referred to Vivaldi's piece. I noticed that the chord progression of the Early Folía has some similarities to the flamenco chord progression.

[@rareword]

The KZbin channel “Le Lutin d'Ecouves” features most of the folias composed by various composers.

[@ManuelLopez-zq9up]

If anything, this video has made me a) want to listen to Salieri's Folia (which I had no idea it exissted) and b) finally understan WHY 1492's Vangelis theme was SO FAMILIAR. decades trying to grasp origin... :-D Thank you. La Follia (or Folia, or Folía, IT, ES, PT versions :-)) Is one of my favorite variations piecess, along the Greensleeves. (yes, I'm a fan of old music, Baroque and earlier :-))

[@pabloraposo]

Talking about minimalism, the great Max Richter used the Folia progression on the "Orlando" section of his "Woolf works", mixing classical instrumentations with electronics. Worth checking.

[@caterscarrots3407]

I am composing a Theme and Variations based on this progression. I think I will be able to write many more variations than the 9 I’ve written on a melody for string quartet. I’m starting very basic here, just a few dotted rhythms and half notes in the melody over whole note chords. I can right away think of many things I can do with this including: - Rhythmic intensification of the melody(so basically more non-chord tones, faster notes) - Rhythmic intensification of the Bass(so like whole notes to half notes to a quarter note arpeggio to eighth notes etc.) - Syncopation - Canon - Alla Marcia - Shift to 3/4 - Majore(Major Key, but then wait, would the C -> F -> C part of it become minor?) - Maybe even a fugue to end it with a knockout punch(the harmonic progression should help me come up with a good subject for said fugue if I decide to include one in there) And the key I’m composing this in is D minor, the most common key I have seen the La Folia progression set in.

[@mirceapauca8541]

Also used in the Soviet/current Russian hymn. Someone noticed Vangelis' theme is almost exactly, note by note, only a different rhythm...

[@lavendelle_swift]

Thanks for this. I will apply this to my future Compositions.

[@valerielauer9608]

Thank you so much for this video! What you say in the end is also important for dancers :)

[@evangelos6509]

I am very glad I found your channel......Congratulations!!!!

[@notacontronota]

It should be noted that in the early Italian seventeenth century, the folia progression was very different, it started from the V to VII V VII IV V I. Frescobaldi is an example.

[@rabbot85]

also used throughout a majority of the restoration score by james newton howard

[@asmo_1929]

I have noticed this progression a few times but didn't know it has a name! it has a very triumphant and hopeful quality to it. I remember it featured in Lacrimosa by Mozart

[@nikkaflute]

I loved this video - the Folia is so fascinating! I was wondering what ensemble was playing the beautiful Salieri and if you could link that recording? Thank you so much for your content 🙏🏻

[@BewegtBildYT]

Would you consider doing one on the fandango? I love the one by Scarlatti... well and of course the one by Soler

[@carlovazquez1586]

Great video! Very insightful

[@crisdanois]

i love this video! fantastic! thank you

[@fotispapailias2155]

How about Vivaldi’s version based on Corelli and l, if I am not mistaken, preceding Salieri?

[@edwardblair4096]

I was hoping for a little more discussion on the relationship of this chord progression to the earlier Passamezzo chord progresion that was ubiquitous throughout the 16th century. I'm pretty sure there are examples of Italian or French songs that fall in the same harmonic context as La Follia.

[@edwardblair4096]

My quick check on Wikipedia shows the chord progression of La Follia as 1-5-1-7 / 3-7-1-5 1-5-1-7 / 3-7-1/5-1 While the one for the Passamezzo Antico is: 1-7-1-5 / 3-7-1/5-1 The main difference is that the second and fourth bars are swapped. This leaves a 5 chord at the end of the first 4 measure phrase, so that you go directly to the resolution in the second four measures compleating the pattern in 8 bars rather than repeating it to make a 16 bar pattern. (Note: I am deliberately using Arabic numbers to not prejudice whether each chord is major or minor)

[@gre7310]

the "7-3" feels like a perfect cadence, where the "7" is a secondary dominant, tonicizing the "3" for a brief moment. This doesn't happen in the Passamezzo progression.

[@nicolasforfant484]

Interesting video, for sure, however it would have been great -and fair- to mention who are the performers (in particular the orchestra and conductor for Salieri's piece) provided that you use their interpretation for your own benefit.

[@therealmerryjest]

Your videos are excellent.... but something that has bothered me over the course of them- the pronunciation of 'La Folia' is the emphasis on the second syllable, fo-LI-a. Also, Beethoven hid La Folia in his 5th symphony. Also, Nobuo Uematsu used it for the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack in "Vamo alla flamenco"

[@veedgo]

I was hoping someone would point that out as well.

[@therealmerryjest]

@@veedgo It's a very minor thing, but it does make me twitch when people don't look up the proper pronunciation if they are going to be using another language. An alternative is to simply call it by its translation: The folly (or madness)

[@Montu-pc5gp]

is the Beethoven thing in mvt 2 of symphony 5?

[@bobgraf7510]

La Folia was also used in the second movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony

[@1685Violin]

I don't know whether I'm correct but it seemed that the sequence is also, surprisingly, found in the 2nd Movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. If this is true, then this one of the most famous pieces where the sequence is subdued despite the repetition. The sequence only seemed different because Beethoven altered the sequence by inverting some of the chords. The result was that the sequence not only sounded less clichéd but also innovating because of a combination of tight voice leading and clever use of counterpoint.

[@eltonwild5648]

Is there a book where I can find this progression and other progressions that great composers used in their compositions?

[@pablom.5698]

Music in the Galant Style by Robert Gjerdigen.

[@FelixCasaer]

Hi! Big fan! Where did you find Francesco Corbetta’s recording? Is there a link for it? Many thanks

[@djbabymode]

How could you forget to mention the use of la folia in beethoven symphony 5?😜

[@MusicaUniversalis]

Beethoven also uses it in his 5th Piano Concerto.

[@classicallyaware2087]

Where exactly is la folia used in beethoven's 5th? I would like to know

[@djbabymode]

@@classicallyaware2087 The second movement: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJykpHuaitenqdE

[@classicallyaware2087]

@@djbabymode Thank you very much

[@frentom]

Anybody mention 2nd movement of Brahms string sextet, opus 18?

[@brendanward2991]

I was wondering why that Vangelis theme is so infectious.

[@jayorag]

The lyrics of the seguidilla are: Grab a brick, break a brick, a flea jumping, break a brick "

[@AmeeliaK]

Is there a list of compositions that use the Folia?

[@apostolismoschopoulos1876]

In the second movement of beethovens fifth symphony there is a follia passage. Go listen to it!

[@AmeeliaK]

IMSLP actually has what I was looking for: "List of compositions with the theme "La Folia" (in the Wiki)

[@apostolismoschopoulos1876]

@@AmeeliaK can you provide a link?

[@AmeeliaK]

​@apostolismoschopoulos1876 no youtube keeps deleting my comment when I post it. But Google should find it.

[@brendanward2991]

Surely the stress is on the second syllable?

[@caiopagano606]

that accent on the í means that the i is the strong syllable. follía. Not fôllia..

[@lp02lp]

Non hai fatto menzione di una tra le più famose ''FOLLIE'', quella di VIVALDI quindi scusami... ma è un progression monca nonostante nel complesso si può ritenere interessante.

[@mirceapauca8541]

Are you sure it doesn't originate in some Arabic maqam (improvizational structure) or Byzantine 'echos' (voice or tone) ?

[@dikferrari1396]

Max Richter also used this progression.

[@ammyvl1]

poor guy has been uploading videos for 4 years and only has 7.5k subscribers

[@MusicaUniversalis]

Yep poor little me, I’m just waiting for the KZbin algorithm to do me a favor one of these days.

[@caterscarrots3407]

You deserve many more subscribers than this. I’ve subscribed ever since you uploaded your overture video.

[@nicholas72611]

@@MusicaUniversalis Bro, seriously do not fret. Your videos are such high quality that your time is bound to come. I think you'll have 100k+ by next year. I love these videos and learn so much!

[@gustavoabreu3097]

folia at least in brazilian portuguese means festivities. It's not mad or empty headed it's just fun 😁 sorry just notice that you actually wrote it

[@martiglesias60]

The rythm of 1492 is a bolero!

[@kanikama9579]

Y la progresión una folia, aunque hay tres temas diferentes en ese álbum con la misma progresión. Y los ejemplos de la sarabanda de handel es un ritmo de sarabanda

[@martiglesias60]

​​@@kanikama9579correcto! The harmonic progression is a folia..

[@karayuschij]

Tangerine Dream used it

[@dulcietorrans]

"In this variation salieri decided to invent minimalism" STOP

[@jayorag]

Ooops, I played it again

[@mrmangoberry8394]

Why’d you reupload this?

[@lavendelle_swift]

Read the video description

[@MusicaUniversalis]

There was an error.

[@robertgiles9124]

I have several versions of La Folia on my page; kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6qxqZ2JbNR4oc0

[@caiopagano606]

Folía is accented on the i. folia. NOT Fôlia.

[@DPNack_]

7:31 NO WAY MY NUCLEAR FAMILY'S IN THE ISLAND'S BIGGEST ORCHESTRA AND THEY PLAYED THIS TWO YEARS AGO LMAO

[@AspiringMindsLessons]

6:30 🤣

[@donut3142]

Boom faster than light

[@selgeaus]

The original Four Chord song 😆

[@Depressioff-uo8qw]

It was Spanish

[@lorenzozordan725]

What is the little sign above the "i"? It is a bloody accent. So why saying all the time "fòlia" with the accent on the o? What's the problem of english speakers with all other languages?

[@MusicaUniversalis]

Chill, I also speak German and they pronounce it incorrectly as well. We do our best friend.

[@alfenito]

La FolEEEa, not la FOlia.

[@manlypedro75]

fo leeee ah

[@tedpiano]

Liszt brought me here

[@Dr.MichaelVlahos]

Sorry - I acknowledge your altruistic effort - but this fell far short for me. I was expecting revelations on how La Folia captured Western Civilization, about the leap from Rodrigo Martinez to the full Folia, about how the chord progression stacked up against other persistent classical progressions, about the tragic dimension of the minor key, and the spread of Iberian Orientalism to a wider European sensibility: Sorry to burden you, but you promised, and disappointed. All the best, Mike Vlahos

[@niabili]

La follia non la folia … The madness

[@StefanNitzsche]

All I hear is “broke composers” 😆

[@MusicaUniversalis]

Then you heard correct, most composers are broke

[@StefanNitzsche]

@@MusicaUniversalis 😆😆😆 I know …

[@lucasmisaelcuadra2066]

Haha first