Shakespeare and Music Part 20

[Music]

The 'sault majeur' in this tune would come in the middle of the semibreves in the first strain; at the 'dot' of the dotted minims in the 2nd and 3rd strains; or, again, in the middle of the semibreves in the same strains.

Of the Pavan [commonly danced before the Ba.s.se-dance], Arbeau says it is very easy, consisting only of 'two simples and a double' advancing, and again 'two simples and a double' retiring. It is (as we already know) in Binary measure, and the careful Capriol once more joins in with his calculations of time, saying that he makes the Pavan 8 measures [semibreves] 'en marchant,' and 8 measures 'desmarchant.'

The master now gives particular instructions about the form and manner of dancing the Pavan. n.o.blemen dance these pavans and ba.s.se-dances 'belles et graves,' with cap and sword; others in long robes, 'marchants honnestement, avec une gravite posee.' And the damoiselles with an humble countenance, 'les yeulx baissez, regardans quelquefois les a.s.sistans avec une pudeur virginale.' Kings, princes, and 'Seigneurs graves,' in dancing the pavan on great occasions, wear their 'grands manteaux, et robes de parade.' Also, Queens, Princesses, and Ladies accompanying them, have their robes 'abaissees et trainans,' 'quelquefois portees par demoiselles.' The Pavan on these occasions is called LE GRAND BAL, and the music is provided, not by simple flute and drum, but by 'haulbois et saquebouttes,' and they continue the tune until the dancers have made the circuit of the 'salle' twice or thrice.

Besides this state dancing of pavans, this dance was used in Mascarade, when triumphal chariots of G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses enter, or of emperors and kings 'plains de maieste.'

On p. 29 ff, Arbeau gives the vocal Pavan for four voices, 'Belle qui tiens ma vie,' which is quoted in Grove. The proper drum accompaniment, continued throughout the 32 bars (2/2) is--[Music] etc.

He also gives seven more verses of words to it, and says if you do not wish to dance, you can play or sing it. Moreover, he adds, that the drum is not a necessity, but is good to keep the time equal; and that for dancing you may use violins, spinets, flutes, both traverse and 'a neuf trous' (nine-holed flute--_i.e._, a flageolet), hautboys, and, in fact, 'all sorts of instruments'; or you may sing instead.

Arbeau's account of the Pa.s.semeze, or Pa.s.sy-measures-pavin of Shakespeare, is very simple. He says that the instrumentalists increase the speed of the _pavan_ every time they play it through, and by the time it has reached the moderate speed of a _ba.s.se-dance_, it is no longer called Pavan, but Pa.s.semeze.

Besides the State Pavan, and the Pa.s.samezzo Pavan, there is the 'Pavane d'Espagne,' which has some similarity to the Canaries.

Arbeau says that some consider the name Canaries to be that of a dance in use in those islands. But he thinks it more likely to have originated in a Ballet in a Mascarade, where the dancers were clad as kings and queens 'de Mauritanie,' as savages, with various coloured feathers. He says it is danced by a gentleman and a lady, from opposite ends of the room, each advancing and then retiring in turn.

The steps and tune are as follows--

CANARIES.

[Music]

1. Tappement du pied gauche, causant pied en l'air droit.

2. Marque talon droit (right heel).

3. Marque pied droit.

4. Tappement du pied droit, causant pied en l'air gauche.

5. Marque talon gauche (left heel).

6. Marque pied gauche.

7-12 are the same again.

Then for the 2nd half, instead of the 'tappements' at the minims, you should make 'une greve fort haulte, rabaissee en tappement de pied traine en derrier, comme si on marchoit dessus un crachat, ou qu'on voul.u.s.t tuer une araignee.' (Make a very high step, but instead of tapping the foot, sc.r.a.pe it backwards, as if you were treading on spittle, or wanted to kill a spider.)

Arbeau gives 17 different kinds of Branle (Brawl of Shakespeare) before coming to the Branle des Sabots, which is danced, 2 beats in a bar, four steps to the right, then four to the left, like the branle doubles; then two simples (see above), and three taps of the foot, and Repeat.

BRANLE DES SABOTS, p. 88.

[Music]

{ 1. Pied gaulche largy (left foot forward).

_Double_ { 2. " droit approche (right foot up to the left).

_gaulche._ { 3. Pied gaulche largy.

{ 4. Pieds joincts (join feet).

{ 5-8 are the same, 'right' and 'left' changing { places, forming a 'double _droit_.'

_Simple_ { { 9. P.g. largy.

_gauche._ { { 10. Pieds joincts.

{ _Simple_ { { 11. P.d. largy.

_droit._ { { 12. Pieds joincts.

_a._ Tappement du pied droit.

_b._ Do.

_c._ Do.

There is only one step to each Semibreve, so the tune must have been played fast.

On p. 64 Arbeau treats of the Lavolta ('high lavolt' of Shakespeare), which he says is a kind of galliard well known in Provence. One feature was that you had to keep turning round.

_Capriol_ does not agree with these whirlings, for he immediately says--'Ces vertigues et tornoiements de cerveau me fascheroient.'

AIR D'UNE VOLTE. [LA VOLTA.]

[Music]

1. Pet.i.t pas, en saultant sur le gaulche, pour faire pied en l'air droit.

2. Plus grand pas du droit.

3. Sault majeur.

4. Posture en pieds joincts; etc., all over again every two bars.

The sault majeur of the 'high lavolt' comes at the _semibreves_ in this tune.

On p. 67 he gives the Courante--

COURANTE.

[Music]

The movements are--

1, 2, simple gauche; 3, 4, simple droit; and 5-8, a 'double a gauche.'

These terms have already been explained.

One of the many Bransles is the 'Branle de la Haye,' the Hay of Shakespeare. Arbeau says--first the dancers dance alone, each separately; then together _so as to interlace_, 'et font _la haye_ les uns parmy les aultres.' That is, during each batch of 4 steps, the dancers _change places_ one with another, so that if there are three dancers, A, B, C, in the first 4 steps, B and A change places, and make B, A, C; in the next 4 steps, C and A change places, and make B, C, A, etc.

Here is the tune and the formula of steps--

THE HAYE.