Medieval Instrumental Dances

by Timothy J. McGee

In Europe the tradition of secular dance has continued unbroken until the present. In the late Middle Ages it was an important and frequent event―for the nobility a gracious way to entertain guests, for the peasantry a welcome relaxation from the toils of the day. Now back in print, this collection presents compositions that are known or suspected to be instrumental dances from before ca. 1420. The 47 pieces vary in length and style and come from French, Italian, English, and Czech sources. Timothy McGee relates medieval dances to the descriptions found in literary, theoretical, and archival sources and to the depictions in the iconography of the Middle Ages. In a section on instrumental performance practices, he provides information about ornamenting the dances and improvising in a historically appropriate style. This comprehensive edition brings together in one volume a repertory that has been scattered over many years and countries.

Genres: Music

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Brad]

A great resource. Contains all the textless dance compositions from before 1430 in modern notation including the French Estampies and the incredible compositions from document 29987.