Two Renaissance Dances

Hello!

Some of you probably know how much I like early music. I also like to compose from time to time in the style of renaissance era. Here are the first and the second of the renaissance dances I have composed. The second dance consists of two parts. They are both written for viola da gamba consort.

P.S. The first dance bares a resemblance with the first dance of Widmann's collection "Musikalischer Tugendtspiegel".

Sounds Very Authentic! You should keep writing in this style.

Thanks! I am more interested in implementing elements of renaissance counterpoint in my compositions than composing in an outdated style which I am already doing, but in a relative degree. Still my understanding of that music is very limited. Despite having taken lessons on late Renaissance counterpoint for choral music I can't say I really know how to write in the renaissance style. I am currently studying Widmann's dances and hear some other stuff (the ear is always a great guide). I am trying to find "Dances from Terpsichore" by Praetorius, but can't seem to find them anywhere... I am also very interested in implementing in some way Hildegard's chant style. I really love the melismatic character of her music, but again I have a scarce amount of material apart from recordings... Anyway, thanks again! Anyone else?

Alexandros

Do you actually have access to a gamba consort? If not, why not simply write this for string quartet?

Also, the notation is very odd... you don't have a single note in the first movement where the stem points up. The second movement is better, but there are still stretches where the notes are flipped.

"Piano" and "Forte", while clear, are also not in common use, musicians are used to seeing "p" and "f".

Nice pieces, keep writing!

Hello! Thank you for your comments!

I don't have access to any kind of ensemble, but I suppose I could also make a string quartet version as you suggested by changing the instruments' names (I think that range-wise it is ok). I do prefer the mellower sound of the viol however.

Regarding notation, I kind of have my own way of notating. I don't like for example when one note is pointing in one direction and the rest in the bar are pointing in the other (by the way, looking at the score of the second dance, I noticed a few places where I missed flipping the notes). I know that this is the normal way of notating, but I don't like it. I like uniformity.

I wrote piano and forte instead of p and f, because I wanted to give an "old" feel to the score. I know that it looks and sounds a bit pretentious and I will probably change it. Thanks!

Alexandros

I'd keep the "piano" and "forte" personally. Any gamba consort playing this would be very familiar to this kind of notation, as the abbreviated forms were pretty much inexistent in the renaissance and baroque. Nothing wrong with using the "old style" there, if you -are- imitating a certain historic style in the first place. The same applies to keeping it for gamba consort instead of string quartet. I mean, there's nothing wrong with using a string quartet, but if your aim is to make a piece that sounds like a renaissance piece, then by all means feel free to use renaissance instruments. If you find a string quartet who wants to play this for you and you'd agree with that, you still can make a version for string quartet.

In any case, I agree that they're really nice pieces!

Thank you Gardener! I appreciate your comments!

Alexandros

These are brilliant! I really enjoyed them. I'll probably come back to comment in a more useful manner later, but for the time being I'm just listening and enjoying.

charming pieces! very nice!

Thank you both! I might post another dance soon. I am working now on a new composition written in the style of Palestrina for double choir. I am using the famous "Stabat Mater" for words.

Alexandros