Branle

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The Branles , also known as Bransles, are historical dances that were in use from the 15th to the 17th centuries and whose first written and therefore precise description dates from the 16th century .

The Branle or Bransle is a mostly moderate moving round dance in duple meter whose spearheading person thus has a prominent role, the dances were u. A. Cited by clergymen, government officials, etc. All Branles dance to the left. Pictures and engravings from this period show a practice in which the leader danced with a raised hand or with his hat on a stick.

The Branles have the so-called pas double (4 times) as a basic step, which can be combined with one or more pas simples (2 times) in some dances. Further combinations of the double can be made with turns, jumps, footsteps and the like. Ä. be designed.

Before it became independent from the 16th century, the Branle was also the final pas in the Basse danse . One differentiates the branch simple in straight beat from the rarer branch gay in a livelier triple beat (for example 3/4 beat).

Audio file / audio sample Audio sample ? / i - 'Branle gay', a Branle "in livelier three-beat (for young married people)", from the dance books byPierre Attaignant

Some Branles are passed down through the dance book “ Orchésographie et traité en forme de dialogue” published by Thoinot Arbeau in 1589 , in which Branles are numerically the main focus. In the description of the favorite dances of the youth of this author, professionally canon of Langres , we find the first choreographic and therefore reliable writing on the dance sequence, style and step execution in the "orchésography". These branches are therefore the first to be passed down to us in a clearly understandable manner. More danced and known were certainly more than the Branles mentioned by him (especially since there are other and imprecise dance scripts and some notations, for example published by Pierre Phalèse without naming a composer), because the possibilities of combining the double with other steps are diverse and almost infinite . It can therefore be assumed that there was a much larger repertoire than that known to us today. Arbeau himself describes only a practice of the higher society. His branles are listed in "suites".

Branles were still danced at the opening of balls in the middle of the 17th century. The dance continued to develop with more complex footwork. While the cheerful and playful character seems to be in the foreground with Arbeau, the Branles in the 17th century were shaped by their courtly context, which, perhaps apart from the Branles de village ( e.g. by Jean-Baptiste Besard or Robert Ballard ), is in finds a more serious and representative character. Since the 15th century, court society had increasingly shown the tendency to develop its own dance language. In this sense, dance as a medium was used “to support the state” and developed independently and away from the Branles.

In addition to Branle , Branle simple , Branle gay and Branle de village , Branle de Poictou , Branle engleterre and Branle englese as well as Branle de Bourgogne and (with Robert Ballard) Branle de la Cornemuse were special names for different types of Branle .

Today new choreographies and compositions are created. The work of Danyèle Besserer and Gilles Péquignot of the Alsatian group Au Gré des Vents should certainly be mentioned here. These new choreographies, which are based on the knowledge of the historical basis, are taught in Germany and France and the Bal Folks like to dance.

Web links

  • Dance group "Danserey Landshut" with video of the dance Branle d´écosse- The practice shown here does not authentically correspond to the dance style described by Arbeau. The statements on this homepage also often do not correspond to historically secured knowledge and this should be viewed critically in this regard.
  • Notes and dance steps

Remarks

  1. ^ Konrad Ragossnig : Handbook of the guitar and lute. Schott, Mainz 1978, ISBN 3-7957-2329-9 , p. 105.
  2. ^ Adalbert Quadt : Lute music from the Renaissance. According to tablature ed. by Adalbert Quadt. Volume 1 ff. Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1967 ff .; 4th edition, ibid. 1968, Volume 2, Introduction.
  3. ↑ Hans Dagobert Bruger (Ed.): Pierre Attaignant, two- and three-part solo pieces for the lute. Möseler Verlag, Wolfenbüttel / Zurich 1926, p. 32.
  4. ^ Konrad Ragossnig: Handbook of the guitar and lute. 1978, p. 105.
  5. ↑ See also Hans Dagobert Bruger (Ed.): Pierre Attaignant, two and three-part solo pieces for the lute. Möseler Verlag, Wolfenbüttel / Zurich 1926, pp. 2, 7 f. ( Drei Branles Poictou ), 8–10 (Drei Branle gay ), 15 ( Branle “Sil est a ma poste” ) and 32–34.
  6. ↑ A German translation of extracts by Albert Czerwinski was published under the title Die Tänze des XVI. Century and the old French dance school before the introduction of the minuet in Gdansk in 1878. A facsimile is available online .
  7. ↑ See for example Adalbert Quadt : Guitar music of the 16th – 18th centuries. Century. According to tablature ed. by Adalbert Quadt. Volume 1-4. Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1970 ff .; 2nd edition ibid 1975-1984, Volume 1, pp. 7-11 (Branles and Branles de Bourgogne from Hortulus Cytharae from 1570).
  8. ^ Adalbert Quadt: Lute music from the Renaissance. Volume 2, p. 47 f.
  9. ↑ Keiji Makuta: 51 selections for Lute in renaissance era. Arranged for guitar. Zen-On, Tokyo 1969, ISBN 4-11-238540-4 , pp. 66-67 ( Branles de Village ).
  10. ↑ Hubert Zanoskar (ed.): Guitar playing of old masters. Original music from the 16th and 17th centuries. Volume 1. B. Schott's Sons, Mainz 1955 (= Edition Schott. Volume 4620), p. 14 f.
  11. ^ Adalbert Quadt: Lute music from the Renaissance. Volume 2, pp. 47-52.
  12. ↑ Frederick Noad: The Renaissance Guitar. (= The Frederick Noad Guitar Anthology. Part 1) Ariel Publications, New York 1974; Reprint: Amsco Publications, New York / London / Sydney, UK ISBN 0.7119.0958.X, US ISBN 0.8256.9950.9, p. 24 ( Branle Gay by Jean Baptiste Besard) and 30 ( Branle De Bourgogne by Adrien Le Roy).
  13. ↑ Keiji Makuta: 51 selections for Lute in renaissance era. Arranged for guitar. 1969, p. 68 f. ( Branles de la Cornemuse ).