Pierre Attaingnant published his first collection of French dance piece for 4 part instrumental ensemble not long after music printing itself had been developed by Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice. The "La Brosse" is a rather rustic sounding composition that was included in a set of nine basses dances and published in four separate part books in 1530. It exemplified a new, more formalized basse dance, although its basic choreography had been developed in the 15th century at the Franco-Burgundian and Italian courts. The earlier basse dance form, typified by the "La Spagna" variations, was more of a free style improvisation swirling around a slow and steady ground, whereas Attaingnant's more cultivated pieces had a more rigid structure and a dominant superius line.
This soundtrack was generated using the iPhone app Music Studio 2. My introduction, which uses only the lower two voices, contains the sounds of a tenor viol, a bass sackbut and tympani. The main body of the tune, which uses all 4 voices, simulates the sound of two shawms, tenor viol, bass sackbut, tympani and tambourine.
Photos:
1. Peasant dance, Pieter Brueghel, 1567
2. Galerie de François I, Château de Fontainebleau, one of the many probable venues in France for performances of Attaingnant's dance pieces.
3. First line of "La Brosse," Superius part, P. Attaingnant, Paris, 1530
4. Shawm band with trombone, detail from the Coronation of Pius III, Pinturicchio, 1509
5. Couple dancing, detail from a larger painting (see #7) Ambrosius Benson, c1545
6. Angels playing shawms and trombone, details from Assumption of the Virgin, Frei Carlos, c1530
7. Elegant couples dancing in a pastoral setting, Ambrosius Benson, c1545
2 окт 2024
