Medieval Dance Suite

SKU: GI.G-9927

UPC: 785147992707. English. Text Source: Eng. tr. Constance Bache, 1846-1903, adapt. and additional text Doreen Rao; Translation: Constance Bache. Text by Adelheid Wette.

Taken from a collection of medieval folktales, the Hansel and Gretel libretto was based on an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The story features two quick-witted and capable children—a brother and sister who face many difficult times, including hunger and abandonment. Looking for food to eat, the children get lost in the forest and wake up only to meet more danger in disguise. In the happy ending, Hansel and Gretel are found in the forest by their parents. All together, they sing thanks and praise, expressing joy and gratitude for their good fortune. The ancient story of Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale with true relevance in the world today. About the Series: Doreen Rao, 2019 Robert Shaw Award recipient, launches her culturally inclusive choral series, Global Encounters for Young Voices, featuring accessible treble- and mixed-voice works for developing choirs.

SKU: PR.114407260

UPC: 680160011209.

Ports of Call, a suite of five movements for two violins and guitar was written for the Trio Triento for their New York debut. Composed in the Summer of 1992, it was premiered in April 1993. 1992 was the 500th anniversary of the 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain and, of course, Columbus' trip to America. To commemorate these important events, I was commissioned by organizations in 20 major cities to write an oratorio. The result was Ever Since Babylon. The musical material was greatly influenced by tunes from around the Mediterranean region. These Sephardic melodies took on treat meaning for me, and I took five of them and expanded them into these five pieces which are actually dances. I felt that the combination of two violins and guitar lent itself well as a vehicle for this music. The names of the cities are used because the tunes originated in these particular locations. Marseille, a typical provencale dance with naturally changing meters and a light, airy, touch. Alexandria, much more mysterious and languid, reflecting the heat and inertia of that glorious city in slow though sometimes steady movement. Salonika, a wild dance in typical Greek fashion celebrating a holiday with abandon. The whirling movement goes relentlessly from beginning to end. Haifa is represented by two beautiful chant-like pastoral tunes which introduce the beauty and luminous quality of this, one of the most beautiful parts in the Eastern Mediterranean. Valencia, the last, a tribute to medieval Spain. The music is a culmination of the influences of the three great cultures, Moslem, Christian, and Jewish, which flourished there for hundreds of years. It is an uplifting dance with just a tinge of sadness in the center, since the Golden Age of which the tune was a part, had come to a tragic end in 1492. --Samuel Adler.

SKU: BT.DHP-0991567-070

An intrada, a galliarde, a pavane and a ballo. For this composition thecomposer has chosen four old dance forms in Italian and French stylesand used them as the basis of this concert suite. Tambourine and handdrum parts have been included to give an authentic medieval feel.

Met Jan Van der Roost’s Four Old Dances in het achterhoofd koos Piet Swerts vier oude dansen in Italiaanse en Franse stijl voor dit werk voor variabele vierstemmige bezetting: een intrada, een gaillarde, een pavane en als finaleeen ballo.

Mit Gedanken an Jan Van der Roosts Four Old Dances wählte Piet Swerts für diese Komposition vier alte Tänze im französischen und italienischen Stil. Tamburin und Handtrommel verstärken den mittelalterlichen Charakter dieses Stücks für vierstimmig variables Quartett.

Quatre danses anciennes d’origine française et italienne.

Quattro antiche danze di origine francese e italiana.