Madame de Façon [2001]
— Written in 2001 for Gerard Bouwhuis (piano) and Heleen Hulst (violin)
performance: 2010, Avaton Music Festival, curated by Anita Tomasevich
The title refers to one of the basse danses which was mentioned in a 16th century manuscript about a court fête held in 1445 in Nancy. The basse danse was a slow court dance in which the different steps, like pas simple, pas double, levée, etc. were fixed, but in which the order and number of steps were free. So every basse danse had its own structure. The music on which was danced was based on a cantus firmus on which faster melodies could be played, maybe also improvised.
The structure of Madame de Façon is based on the steps used in the basse danse mentioned in the manuscript (the exact meaning of the different steps is however not completely certain):
- Révérence, a bow for the lady at the beginning of the dance;
- Pas Simple, single step, probably: left foot forward, right foot joins;
- Pas Double, double step; probably: left foot, right, left again and right foot joins;
- Pas Menus, probably: single step backwards;
- Capriole, the manuscript mentions “jumps”, so I used the term “capriole”, which was the term for a high jump;
- Démarche, or “reprise”, going backwards;
- Congé, means “farewell”.
Thoinot Arbeau, a 16th century dance master who wrote his famous Orchésographie about the steps and dancing techniques of the basse danse, describes this is the saying farewell of the lady by the gentleman by making a bow and holding her hand while returning to the place where the dance began.
— Cornelis de Bondt [2001]