Cajun Folk Songs Essay, Research Paper

Belle Qui Tiens Ma Vie

The music of the Renaissance Period was heard in our cathedrals, the Halls of

Nobility, and even peoples’ homes. The Renaissance music was between the Medieval

and Baroque times, about 1450-1600. Some of the instruments were bagpipers, singing

peddlers, and pipe-and-drummers. Composers from Northern France, Belgium, and

Holland brought the music to its highest point with new styles. In the nearby Netherland

Schools, they were greatly interested in the different voices. In these songs, people could

hear harmony because of melodic lines.

Pavane – the most typical of 16th century dances, a stately processional

performed by couples. Its steps are simple enough but as in all slow dances, demand

controlled deportment and posture. The name pavane means “dance from Padua” or

“peacock’s dance”. The latter interpretation may well refer to the dancer’s proud and even

swaggering bearing. A pavane is often followed by a gaillarde

Thoinot Arbeau

For most of the dances described in Thoinot Arbeau’s Orchesographie, published

in Langres in 1589, only a melody is given, but in the sixteenth century it was common

for dance music to be provided by a band of loud or soft (haut or bas) instruments as the

occasion demanded. Arbeau himself gives us information with which to begin our search

for appropriate multi-part dance music when he suggests to his pupil, Capriol, that he

look in the books of music printed by Pierre Attaignant and by Nicolas du Chemin in

Paris for more music for basses dances and pavans. Attaignant’s dance books are extant

and have been published both in facsimile and in modern editions. Nicolas du Chemin

published the dance music arranged by Jean D’Estree, but only the superius and bassus

parts of the first three books, and only the bassus part of the fourth book survive.

Fortunately, there are a number of books of dance music which were published in the

second half of the sixteenth century, all intended for the same middle class amateur

audience. Many are not ensemble books, but books of music for solo lute, cittern, or

guitar; however, ensemble setting of the music for Arbeau’s dances can easily be made

from these.

Many sixteenth century dances were not associated with specific melodies, but

could be danced to any appropriate music. Pavans, gaillardes, branles simples, and

branles doubles, branles gais, and the sixteenth century basse danse commun, for

example, could be danced to a number of tunes, and so Arbeau could direct Capriol to

the readily available collections of dance music for a variety of tunes to dance to. For

mimetic dances or for dances with special length or cadential requirements it is necessary

to look for settings of the particular tunes Arbeau gives, for in these cases dance and tune

are closely associated and general interchangeability of music is not the case.

How to play the piece

This is a grade 2 piece but that does not mean that it is easy because of all of the

hard articulations and things in this music it is actually not that easy.

The Quarter note in this particular piece should be around 80, 90, and 100. The

note value of 80 would best suit a concert band considering that the listener, at slow

tempos, pays more attention to what the music sounds like which makes them focus less

on what the tune is. The piece should be played with little or no tongue and with a

smooth flowing feeling to the music. The intonation in this piece is very noticeable in the

sense that if you make on little ‘crack’ in your playing, it is very noticeable so you must be

careful. You must play this piece with very good phrasing and dynamics.

Well, that just about wraps up my report on the music we had to play for the district

festival, I’m all bummed out so…. Good Night

-DrSamuels