Hi dear friends,
After a too long pause, here I'm back with an arrangement* of 2 contradansen. These are again historic and anonymous dances taken from a booklet collected by J.B.R. D'Aubat de Saint-Flour (1757). He was a French violinist/composer who married a (Belgian) girl from Mons and settled finally in Ghent. There he became one of the second violinists of the town orchestra and dancing master of the city. In his booklet he collected some 120 dances. Undoubtedly some were written by himself, but many appeared in earlier collections as well (in Flanders and France). Two of these bundles were preserved at the Ghent University library.
These dances are now often considered as folk dances, but originally they were not. In the 18th century they were only danced by the wealthier people (nobility, rich middle and upper class, at the courts of counts and dukes, kings...). In most cases only the tune was written down. Most of the performing musicians knew the practice to play them in 3 or even 4 voices on the spot. Sometimes, a figured bass (continuo) was added briefly.
Room:
Version 1: Vienna Suits, Synchron Stages; MIRacle idem
Version 2: Vienna Suite, SynchronStages; MIRacle idem
Version 3: MIR; Synchron Stages; MIRacle idem
Enjoy these dances!
Jos
(or on YouTube: 2 Contradansen)
2. A newer version with the Dimension Strings: 2 Contradansen
3. And a final version done with the Dimension Strings and MIR: 2 Contradansen
* I've used a harpsichord, baroque traverso and oboe, bassoon for these dances, as well as the chamber strings and solo strings. Ambience with the Vienna Suite: IR Teldex wide; tail reverb: Miracle Synchron Stages wide)