The spice of life

Abstract

‘Nothing does more to stimulate a man to acts of courtesy, honour and generosity than love. And if you desire to marry you must realize that a mistress is won by the good temper and grace displayed while dancing, because ladies do not like to be present at fencing or tennis, lest a splintered sword or blow from a tennis ball should cause them injury.’ Thus Thoinot Arbeau addresses Capriol in his Orchésographie published in 1589, the year Henri IV de Navarre ascended to the French throne. In the French ensemble Doulce Mémoire's disc Praetorius & Guédron: Grand bal à la cour d’Henri IV (K617 K617186, rec 2005, 65′) we are introduced to the music that exemplifies the necessary ‘good temper and grace’. For the instrumental music, the group draws on dances collected by Michael Praetorius in Terpsichore (1612)—about which he was advised by the former violinist to Henri IV, Pierre Francisque Carroubel. These dances were passed on by oral tradition or written by other violinists to the king such as Julien Perrichon, Claude Nyon and Louis Beauchamp. To this the ensemble has added chansons à danser by Pierre Guédron, Surintendant de la Musique de la Chambre, stylishly sung here by Véronique Bourin, and has woven together a recording of the progressive stages of a ball as described by Arbeau. Thus, as the dancers enter, the disc opens with a loud and energetic ‘Passemezze pour les cornetts’, the band that belonged to the Ecurie and was used for open air music for carrousels (horse ballets) and other celebratory events.