#John Playford

[oranjank]

ah yes, The English Dancing Master, first published in 1651, a collection of classic medieval (500-1500 A.D.) tunes

[musicwithoutborders]

John Playford/The Playfords, Strawberries and Cream I Garlic & Onions, 2023

[m-accost]

'Cock Up Your Beaver is a song and poem by Robert Burns, written in 1792. It is written in Scottish dialect and the beaver refers to a gentleman's hat in an era when all high quality men's hats were made of felted beaver fur.

'It was based on an older song, published as "Johnny, cock up thy Beaver". It is widely claimed that this is found in The Dancing Master, a collection of folk tunes published by John Playford of London in 1657. However, this is disputed by Scottish music scholar John Glen who correctly states it first appears in the 1686 edition of "The Dancing Master".'

[someoneshitinmysoup]

after another wedding in phoenix drop, aphmau takes a minute to herself while the after party music fades into the background. she ends up at the docks looking out over the water.

always the dutiful guard, laurance followed her and watched her from a distance, silent until he noticed her lean a bit too far over the edge of the dock for his comfort.

Aphmau was reaching out to try and touch an especially shiny fish she noticed in the water, and suddenly felt her hand gripping the wooden planks slip. As she quickly shut her eyes and braced for the rush of cold water …

nothing.

instead of the frigid ocean water she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her above the water where she almost just fell

“you’ve gotta be more careful, aphmau! can’t have my lady falling in the water and catching a cold, especially not in that pretty dress Cadenza made you.” his tone was a mix of teasing and chiding.

Laurance.

Aphmau, in a moment becoming too aware of laurance’s arm around her, scrambled to her feet and replied “i wasn’t going to fall in laurance! i had everything … under control”

“didn’t seem that way when i needed to come save you” The knight muttered under his breath, but refused to repeat when asked what he was grumbling about by his lord. He worked hard to tone down his natural banter but it was hard to keep all of his little comments to himself 100% of the time.

they were far enough away from the celebrations that the music was dim but still very noticiable as the only sound between them except her increasingly hastened breath

She didn’t feel like she deserved him to care about her this way. Always watching over her, noticing when she left the party, that she even left. She felt her face get hot and turned away (he could never see this, irene forbid the teasing that would ensue)

but when she turned back around, expecting some flirty line about her eyes or the moonlight, no words came from her loyal guard. only a hand. a simple gesture, and yet it was different, unlike anything he’d done since they first met back in Meteli when he’d first become enraptured by her. She was used to all of his silly casanova lines and affections but this was sweet. pure. and here he was, holding out his hand and looking bashful. a silent invitation to a dance

she put out her hand, hesitantly, and gave in to her baseline need to see what would happen. the unknown. the tension between them that she had never expected to return beyond platonic love

and they danced.

she didn’t expect him to be a good dancer, growing up as a simple village boy, but he led smoothly. his movements were confident and he was gentle, almost as if holding a scared kitten. he didn’t want to startle her.

he was testing the waters and feeling out what was okay and what wasn’t as they spun. at first he held just the hand that she took when he offered, twirling her softly to the music from the after party that floated over the trees. when she turned back to him he gently grabbed her other hand. as she looked up at him signaling that this touch was okay, aphmau let out a gasp of surprise when he pulled her close to him in a swift motion.

he grinned a bit at her and she giggled. it felt like a breath that had been held in between them was released and she sank more comfortably into the dance. Laurence had let his thoughts take hold of him when he pulled her close, and cursed himself a bit for it in his head even though this is how he had always wanted her. only inches away from him. he didn’t want her to leave. he wanted to always keep her close, protect her

they moved as one now; twirling, spinning and stepping in lovely foot patterns that made them both look at eachother and smile. it was pure fun

and as the song came to a close he spun her over and over then came a low dip, ending right next to the edge of the dock where she has just been leaning minutes before. she looked so beautiful. the moonlight. her eyes. so many of his typical cheesy lines floated around laurances head but none of them made it out. it felt like a block in his throat and he was choked up for words in the light of his lady holding his hand, her only landline, a sturdy hand keeping her from falling into the water below.

staring into his eyes, aphmau didn’t think she’d ever noticed their shine, so bright blue now after his … time. in the nether. she tried not to think about that at all but here in this very moment, the expression on his face made it seem as if her guard had been through hell just for this moment.

[onmymusicstand]

Lumps of pudding

My recording of Lumps of pudding by John Playford, the 32th study of the book 50 Graded Studies for descant Recorder by S. Adams and P. Harris.

It's an English song that I found beautiful and really pleasing to play!

[acrossthewavesoftime]

Since everyone is doing these nowadays...

Have fun with it, people!

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

I was tagged by @bougainvillea-and-saltwater to do this amazingly cool tag game and share the "theme songs" of my fic, all instrumental!! You had such a wonderful idea with this tag game, dear 🥰🥰 **Edit, since this has been in the drafts, @shitty-drawer also tagged me💖💖 Thank you so much, and I actually tagged you in this game 🤣 You were faster than me in posting it.

I thought it was going to be easy, as I listen to a ton of instrumental music, because I also like to always have music in the background! But going off of vibes, this is how I associate music to my fic "Wherever you go, there you are":

"Miasma" by Ghost. This is Ravonna’s theme song. This one, I feel like, it encapsulates Mage!Ravonna perfectly. And that saxophone solo? Groovy! Just like her and her bard side. It also feels like a beautifully threatening song, in a way, and I think it fits her perfectly. The second song for her, because I simply cannot only choose one is "Faronell's Division" by John Playford. This one represents her sassyness as well as her impulsiveness, with all the changes in rhythm

For Miraak, I'm going with "Gnossienne No.5" by Erik Satie, because of the ✨️gentleness✨️ and this song heals the soul, and he's a healer, sooo yeah. The second one I choose for him is "A watering hole in the harbor" by Adam Skorupa; this is such a joyful song, and I feel like it really encapsulates the "I have no idea what y'all are doing, but I'm joining in and I'm so happy to be here" vibe that Miraak has once he gets more comfortable and lets go of the Miraak persona and embraces his true self <3

Now for the WYGTYA as a whole and general vibes:

I find myself listening to "Thunderbrew" by David Arkenstone a lot while writing, and since it has such a tavern-y vibe to it, this could be the theme for the fellowship whenever they are at a tavern having fun, drinking, eating and being in their natural habitat 🤣

"People of the land" by Jan Valta is the absolute perfect song for showing beautiful landscapes of both Morrowind and Skyrim, while also being the perfect song for Ravonna’s inner struggles to figure out whether she feels more at home in Skyrim, the land of her people, or in Morrowind, the land where she grew up. This is also the Civil War storyline theme, in my heart :')

"City of Sails" by Inon Zur is a theme that I don't know how to explain, without giving away spoilers :)))) It has ties to Ravonna's family, but will also represent the land of High Rock (yes, the story will go there too🤣) Also this one is one of those songs that I am kind of emotionally attached to, for some reason. I just wish I lived within this song, in a way.

And for the extra ocs:

For Endryn, I have "Tavern" by Jason Hayes, this one is pretty obvious, he is my beloved innkeeper dunmer oc who adopted Ravonna. He was very friendly, kind, stressed and quite funny, dad joke expert.

For Hjaldir, my other beloved oc, the nord bard that worked at the Inn where Ravonna grew up, because he is an ex-pirate, I'm going for "Moonlight Serenade" by Klaus Badelt. I don't associate him with the character Jack Sparrow all that much, but this song draws the perfect image of a charming and charismatic pirate, and the tune is incredibly melodious, so it really fits his bard persona well! Also, the intense part is perfect for his adventurous and danger-filled life. He's got many, many stories from his pirate days 😉

If you made it until here, I literally love you so much! Thank you for reading my ramblings. I could talk about songs and music all day!

I'm tagging my usual favourite mutuals @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @thelavenderelf @nerevar-quote-and-star Y'all already know you don't have to do this if you don't want to 💖💖 just ignore me and if I'm being annoying with the tag games, do let me know. This is not my intention at all! I will stop tagging you if you don't want to participate.

[euriosaparisi]

Henry Purcell - Gentle Shepherds - An Elegy on the Death of Mr. John Playford

Feliz jueves

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.6 (after 1940)

1943 – Norman Rockwell published Freedom from Want in The Saturday Evening Post with a matching essay by Carlos Bulosan as part of the Four Freedoms series. 1943 – World War II: Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel launches the Battle of Medenine in an attempt to slow down the British Eight Army. It fails, and he leaves Africa three days later. 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Fardykambos, one of the first major battles between the Greek Resistance and the occupying Royal Italian Army, ends with the surrender of an entire Italian battalion, the bulk of the garrison of the town of Grevena, leading to its liberation a fortnight later. 1944 – World War II: Soviet Air Forces bomb an evacuated town of Narva in German-occupied Estonia, destroying the entire historical Swedish-era town. 1945 – World War II: Cologne is captured by American troops. On the same day, Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive of the war, begins. 1946 – Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union. 1951 – Cold War: The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins. 1953 – Georgy Malenkov succeeds Joseph Stalin as Premier of the Soviet Union and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 1957 – Ghana becomes the first Sub-Saharan country to gain independence from the British. 1964 – Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad officially gives boxing champion Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali. 1964 – Constantine II becomes the last King of Greece. 1965 – Premier Tom Playford of South Australia loses power after 27 years in office. 1967 – Cold War: Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to the United States. 1968 – Three rebels are executed by Rhodesia, the first executions since UDI, prompting international condemnation. 1970 – An explosion at the Weather Underground safe house in Greenwich Village kills three. 1975 – For the first time the Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy is shown in motion to a national TV audience by Robert J. Groden and Dick Gregory. 1975 – Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement of their border dispute. 1984 – In the United Kingdom, a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in Brampton Bierlow signals the start of a strike that lasted almost a year and involved the majority of the country's miners. 1987 – The British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in about 90 seconds, killing 193. 1988 – Three Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers are shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar in Operation Flavius. 1992 – The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers. 2003 – Air Algérie Flight 6289 crashes at the Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport in Tamanrasset, Algeria, killing 102 out of the 103 people on board. 2008 – A suicide bomber kills 68 people (including first responders) in Baghdad on the same day that a gunman kills eight students in Jerusalem. 2018 – Forbes names Jeff Bezos as the world's richest person, for the first time, at $112 billion net worth. 2020 – Thirty-two people are killed and 81 are injured when gunmen open fire on a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack.

[levysoft]

Il brano Greensleeves giunge dal rinascimento inglese (con innegabili influenze musicali italiane) e ci narra del corteggiamento di un gentiluomo molto ricco e di una Lady un po’ ritrosa che lo respinge, nonostante i  generosi regali. Arrangiamento di Alice Castle Tamara: voce Sal Russo: chitarra acustica e guitar synth Le immagini sono per lo più tratte dai dipinti di Dante Gabriel Rossetti, uno dei fondatori del movimento artistico dei Preraffaelliti 

Lady Greensleeves è un brano rinascimentale inglese (con innegabili influenze musicali italiane) e ci narra del corteggiamento di un gentiluomo molto ricco e di una Lady un po’ ritrosa che lo respinge, nonostante i  generosi regali.

La ballata rinascimentale

Era l’anno 1580 che vide un susseguirsi di pubblicazioni  di un canto d’amore di un gentiluomo alla sua Lady Greensleeves,  [in italiano la Signora dalle Maniche Verdi]; Richard Jones e Edward White si contendevano  le stampe di una canzone di gran moda, nel mese di settembre, lo stesso giorno Jones con  “A new Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves” e White con “A ballad,  being the Ladie Greene Sleeves Answere to Donkyn his   frende“, poi dopo pochi giorni, ancora White con  un’altra versione: “Greene Sleeves and Countenance, in Countenance is Greene Sleeves” e  qualche mese dopo Jones  con la pubblicazione di “A merry newe Northern   Songe of Greene Sleeves“; questa volta la replica venne da William Elderton,  che, nel febbraio del 1581, scrisse la “Reprehension against Greene Sleeves” . In ultimo la versione riveduta e ampliata da Richard Jones  con il titolo “A New Courtly Sonnet of the Lady Green Sleeves” inclusa nella collezione ‘A Handeful of Pleasant Delites’  del 1584, fu quella che diventò la versione finale, ancora oggi eseguita  (almeno per quanto riguarda la melodia e per buona parte del testo con ben 17  strofe).

La melodia per Liuto

La melodia nasce per liuto, lo strumento per eccellenza della musica  rinascimentale (e barocca) che ha visto in Inghilterra una pregevole fioritura con autori del calibro di John Jonson e di John Dowland (consiglio l’ascolto del Cd di Sting Labirinth). Come evidenziato nello studio approfondito di Ian Pittaway l’antenato di Greensleeves è il Passamezzo antico. Il coro però di Greensleeves segue l’andamento melodico di una Romanesca che a sua volta è stata una variante del passamezzo.

Verso la fine del XV secolo, gli strumenti a pizzico come il liuto stavano appena iniziando a sviluppare una nuova tecnica da aggiungere al loro repertorio espressivo, suonando corde per accordi piuttosto che suonando le note del periodo medievale. Uno degli accordi che si sviluppò fu il passamezzo antico (c’era anche il passamezzo moderno), che nacque in Italia all’inizio del XVI secolo prima di diffondersi in tutta Europa. Oggi è un po’ come il blues, ci sono una prefissata sequenza di accordi di base sulla quale viene aggiunta una melodia. (tradotto da qui)

Una coreografia della danza la ritroviamo solo  in epoca più tarda, nell'”English Dancing Master” di John Playford (sia nell’edizione del 1686 e poi pubblicata a più riprese nel Settecento) come english country dance

LA LEGGENDA TUDOR

La leggenda  vuole che sia stato Enrico VIII, nel 1526, a  scrivere “Greensleeves”  per Anna Bolena, proprio  all’inizio della loro relazione, quando lei lo faceva sospirare (e gli anni  furono sette prima che i due si sposassero). Un’ipotesi suggestiva in quanto sia la melodia che il testo ben si adattano al personaggio, che di suo ha scritto svariati brani ancora oggi nel repertorio  di molti artisti di musica antica; tuttavia la  poesia non è stata trascritta in nessun manoscritto dell’epoca e quindi non possiamo essere certi dell’attribuzione. L’equivoco è stato generato da William Chappell che nel suo “Popular Music of the Olden Time” (Londra: Chappell & Co, 1859) attribuisce la melodia al re, mal interpretando una citazione di Edward Guilpin. “Yet like th’ Olde ballad of the Lord of Lorne, Whose last line in King Harries dayes was borne.”(in Skialethia, or a Shadow of Truth, 1598: la ballata “The Lord of Lorne and the False Steward” risale al tempo di Enrico VIII (King Harries) e, secondo Chappell è sempre stata cantata sulla melodia Greensleeves.

Così nella Serie Tv “The Tudors” si segue la leggenda e noi possiamo ammirare Jonathan Rhys Meyers tutto assorto mentre “trova” la melodia sul liuto…

La paternità irlandese?

William Henry Grattan Flood in A History of Irish Music (Dublino: Browne e Nolan, 1905) è stato il primo a presumere (senza addurre prove) l’irlandesità della melodia.  “In a manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin … Under date of 1566, there is a manuscript Love Song (without music however), written by Donal, first Earl of Clancarty. A few years previously, an Anglo-Irish Song was written to the tune of Greensleeves.” Da allora l’idea della paternità irlandese ha preso sempre più vigore tant’è che il brano è presente nelle compilations di musica celtica  etichettato come irish traditional.

Lirica cortese o uno scherzo pesante?

Il testo ci narra del corteggiamento di un gentiluomo verso una Lady un po’ ritrosa che lo respinge, nonostante i suoi generosi e principeschi regali; più ironicamente, si può interpretare come il lamento di un gentiluomo verso la moglie o l’amante bisbetica! Riccardo Venturi propende per un contesto un po’ più piccante “Già ai tempi di Geoffrey Chaucer e dei Racconti di Canterbury (ricordiamo che Chaucer visse dal 1343 al 1400) l’abito verde era considerato tipico di una “donna leggera”, leggasi di una prostituta. Si tratterebbe quindi di una giovane donna di promiscui costumi; Nevill Coghill, il celebre ed eroico traduttore in inglese moderno dei Canterbury Tales, spiega -in riferimento ad un’interpretazione di un passo chauceriano- che, all’epoca, il colore verde aveva precise connotazioni sessuali, particolarmente nella frase A green gown, una gonna verde. Si trattava, in estrema pratica, delle macchie d’erba sul vestito di una donna che praticava (o subiva) un rapporto sessuale all’esterno, in un prato, “in camporella” come si direbbe oggigiorno. Se di una donna si diceva che aveva “la gonna verde”, in pratica era un pesante ammiccamento e le si dava di leggera se non tout court della puttana. La canzone sarebbe quindi la lamentazione di un amante tradito e abbandonato, o di un cliente respinto; insomma, come dire, qualcosa di tutt’altro che regale (sebbene in ogni epoca i re siano stati generalmente i primi puttanieri del Regno). Un’altra possibile interpretazione è che l’amante tradito, o respinto, si sia voluto come vendicare sulla poveretta indirizzandole una deliziosa canzoncina in cui le dà della puttana mediante la metafora delle “maniche verdi”.” (Riccardo Venturi da qui)

Moltissimi gli interpreti, con versioni in stile antico e moderno (anche Yngwie Malmsteen la suona con la sua chitarra e Leonard Cohen ne propone una riscrittura nel 1974 ) di una melodia antica che non ha mai perso il suo fascino e popolarità.

Lady Greensleeves

Molti gli interpreti, con versioni sia in stile antico che moderno (anche Yngwie Malmsteen con la sua chitarra e Leonard Cohen che ne propone una riscrittura nel 1974 –Leaving Green Sleeves) Oggi il testo viene raramente eseguito e solo per due o quattro strofe, ma è un brano amato dai gruppi corali che lo cantano più estesamente.

Nella versione in ‘A Handful of Pleasant Delites’, 1584, dalla raccolta di Israel G. Young (una ventina di strofe vedi testo qui) ci si dilunga sui regali che il nobiluomo fa alla sua bella per vezzeggiarla:  “kerchers to thy head”, “board and bed”, “petticoats of the best”, “jewels to thy chest”, “smock of silk”, “girdle of gold”, “pearls”, “purse”, “guilt knives”, “pin case”, “crimson stockings all of silk”, “pumps as white as was the milk”, “gown of the grassy green” con “sleeves of satin”, che la fanno essere “our harvest queen”, “garters” decorate d’oro e d’argento, “gelding”, e servitori “men clothed all in green”, e non ultimo tante leccornie ( “dainties”).

chorus (1) Greensleeves(2) was all my joy Greensleeves was my delight, Greensleeves my heart of gold And who but my lady Greensleeves. I Alas, my love, you do me wrong, To cast me off discourteously(3). For I have loved you well and long, Delighting in your company. II Your vows you’ve  broken, like my heart, Oh, why did you so enrapture me? Now I remain in a world apart But my heart remains in captivity. III I have been ready at  your hand, To grant whatever you would crave, I have both wagered life and land, Your love and good-will for to have. IV Thy petticoat of sendle(4) white With gold embroidered gorgeously; Thy petticoat of silk and white And these I bought gladly. V If you intend thus to  disdain, It does the more enrapture me, And even so, I still remain A lover in captivity. VI My men were clothed all in green, And they did ever wait on thee; All this was gallant to be seen, And yet thou wouldst not love me. VII Thou couldst desire no earthly thing, but still thou hadst it readily. Thy music still to play and sing; And yet thou wouldst not love me. VIII Well, I will pray to God on high, that thou my constancy mayst see, And that yet once before I die, Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me. IX Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu, To God I pray to prosper thee, For I am still thy lover true, Come once again and love me

Traduzione italiana coro(1) Greensleeves era la gioia mia Greensleeves era la mia delizia, Greensleeves era il mio cuore d’oro, chi se non la mia Signora dalle Maniche Verdi?(2) I Ahimè amore mio, non mi rendete giustizia, a respingermi con scortesia vi ho amata per tanto tempo deliziandomi della vostra compagnia. II I vostri voti avete spezzato, come il mio cuore. Oh perché così mi  avete rapito? Ora resto in un mondo a parte e il mio cuore resta in prigione III Ero pronto al vostro fianco, a concedervi ciò che bramavate e avevo impegnato vita e terre, per restare nelle vostre buone grazie. IV La gonna di zendalo bianco(4) con sfarzosi ricami d’oro, la gonna di seta bianca vi ho comprato con gioia. V Se così intendete disprezzarmi, ancor più m’incantate e anche così, continuo a rimanere un amante in prigionia VI I miei uomini erano tutti di verde vestiti , ed erano al vostro servizio tutto ciò era galante da vedersi e tuttavia voi non vorreste amarmi VII Voi non potreste desiderare cosa terrena senza che l’abbiate prontamente, la vostra musica sempre suonerò e canterò e tuttavia voi non vorreste amarmi VIII Pregherò Iddio lassù che voi possiate accorgervi della mia costanza e che una volta prima che io  muoia voi possiate infine amarmi IX Ed ora Greensleeves  vi saluto, addio Pregherò Iddio che voi prosperiate sono ancora il vostro fedele amante venite ancora da me ed amatemi

NOTE 1) l’ordine in cui sono cantate le prime due frasi del coro a volte sono  invertite e iniziano in senso contrario 2) Nel medioevo il colore verde era il simbolo  della rigenerazione e quindi della giovinezza e del vigore fisico, significava “fertilità” ma anche “speranza” e accostato  all’oro indicava il piacere. Era il colore della medicina per i suoi poteri  rivitalizzanti. Colore dell’amore allo stadio nascente, nel  Rinascimento era il colore usato dai giovani specialmente a Maggio; nelle donne  era anche il colore della castità. E tale attribuzione mal si accosta all’altro significato più promiscuo  di “donnina sempre pronta a rotolarsi nell’erba”. E il fascino della ballata sta proprio nella sua ambiguità! Il verde è anche il colore che nelle fiabe/ballate connota una creatura fatata. Le parole gaeliche “Grian Sliabh” (letteralmente tradotte come “sole montagna” ovvero una “montagna esposta a sud, soleggiata”)  si pronunciano Green Sleeve (il brano è peraltro molto popolare in Irlanda soprattutto come slow air). Grian è anche il nome di un fiume che scorre dalle Sliabh Aughty (contea Clare e Galway) 3) le espressioni sono proprie della lirica cortese 4) lo zendalo è un velo di seta

Da non perdere la traduzione di Riccardo Venturi (sommo poeta e traduttore) (qui) del Nouo Sonetto Cortese su la Signora da le Verdi Maniche. Su la noua Melodia di Verdi Maniche. Verdi Maniche era ogni mia Gioja, Verdi Maniche, la mia Delizia. Verdi Maniche, lo mio Cor d’Oro; Chi altra, se non la Signora da le Verdi Maniche?

Nella versione estesa i regali dello spasimante sono molti e costosi assai ed è tutto un lagnarsi di “oh quanto mi costi bella mia!” IV I bought three kerchers to thy head, That were wrought fine and gallantly; I kept them both at board and bed, Which cost my purse well-favour’dly. V I bought thee petticoats of the best, The cloth so fine as fine might be: I gave thee jewels for thy chest; And all this cost I spent on thee. VI Thy smock of silk both fair and white, With gold embroidered gorgeously; Thy petticoat of sendall right; And this I bought thee gladly. VII Thy girdle of gold so red, With pearls bedecked sumptously, The like no other lasses had; And yet you do not love me! VIII Thy purse, and eke thy gay gilt knives, Thy pin-case, gallant to the eye; No better wore the burgess’ wives; And yet thou wouldst not love me! IX Thy gown was of the grassy green, The sleeves of satin hanging by; Which made thee be our harvest queen; And yet thou wouldst not love me! X Thy garters fringed with the gold, And silver aglets hanging by; Which made thee blithe for to behold; And yet thou wouldst not love me! XI My gayest gelding thee I gave, To ride wherever liked thee; No lady ever was so brave; And yet thou wouldst not love me! XII My men were clothed all in green, And they did ever wait on thee; All this was gallant to be seen; And yet thou wouldst not love me! XIII They set thee up, they took thee down, They served thee with humility; Thy foot might not once touch the ground; And yet thou wouldst not love me! XIV For every morning, when thou rose, I sent thee dainties, orderly, To cheer thy stomach from all woes; And yet thou wouldst not love me!

Le proposte per l’ascolto sono veramente tante e fare una cernita è ardua impresa (vedi qui), così mi limiterò a un paio di suggerimenti.

(via https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/greensleeves/ e Greensleeves by Alice Castle live 2005 con traduzione - YouTube)

[musicwithoutborders]

Paul O'Dette · Andrew Lawrence-King · David Douglass, Old Simon the King I English Country Dances - 17th Century Music from the Publications of John Playford, 1998

[galina-ulanova]

Under the new leadership of Oliver Cromwell and Puritans, the performing arts were sharply curtailed: playhouses were closed, and stern polemicists such as William Prynne declared theatrical entertainments 'effeminate,' 'lust provoking', and likely to 'corrupteth and depraveth the minde'.  Drawing on a deep current of Puritan and Calvinist loathing for theatre and for any exhibition of the human – and especially female – body, Prynne's views were hardly original.  'The whole bodie,' one writer had exclaimed in 1603, 'is abused to wantonnesse in dauncing...here is an artificiall grace, and artificiall pace, and artificiall face, and in euerie part a wicket art is added to increase the naturall filthinesse.'  When the ballet master John Playford published his book The English Dancing Master in 1651, he self-effacingly apologized for even raising the subject of dance, since 'these Times and the Nature of it do not agree.'

“Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet”

[autodidact-adventures]

Ballet History (Part 15): English Ballet and John Weaver

The English had always been very suspicious of ballet – especially because it was French.  The nobility in England was very different from in France: instead of a tightly-knit court society, they were more rural-based and independent.  Rank depended on land ownership, and the English aristocracy preferred to spend time at their manor houses and country estates, rather than in the city or at court, where social rules were more confining.

Nor did they share the French hatred of work (not completely, anyway).  They taxed themselves (lightly), and were more involved in industry & trade.  They didn't care much for grand spectacles, so they weren't much interested in ballet.

The English court was rather pathetic compared to the French one. The masque was often staged in Whitehall's royal banqueting hall, and Ben Jonson called it a “studie of magnificence”, with dancing and lavish entertainments.  But it was nothing like the ballet de cour.

Knight costume for a masque, designed by Inigo Jones (1573-1652).  The masque was strongly associated with Charles I’s reign.

Charles I (1600-49) believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings, and looked up to the French court as a model, sending representatives there to study it.  He even planned to built a palace like Versailles, hoping to hold wonderful ceremonies & performances like the French kings did.  But the English Civil War put paid to these plans, and Charles was tried & executed for high treason. He was beheaded on a scaffold outside the banqueting hall.

The Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, were about as anti-arts as you can get.  Playhouses were closed, and theatrical entertainments were declared “effeminate”, “lust-provoking” and “likely to corrupteth and depraveth the minde”.  They hated any display of the body (especially the female body).  One man wrote in 1603, “The whole bodie is abused to wantonness in dauncing...here is an artificiall grace, and artificiall pace, an artificiall face, and in eurie part a wickert art is added to increase the naturall filthinesse.”

In 1651, John Playford (a ballet-master) published The English Dancing Master, and included an apology in it for even raising the subject of dance.  “These Times and the Nature of it do not agree,” he wrote.

In 1660, the monarchy was restored, and things reversed back to normal.  Charles II also sent representatives to France to learn more about Louis XIV's spectacles, and French ballet-masters were brought in.  But Charles II's court was not like Louis'.  The rules of social etiquette and propriety were notoriously lax, and Charles himself hated ceremony and formal ritual.  He even mocked his own position. The Earl of Mulgrave said that he “could not on premeditation act the part of a King for a moment,” as he couldn't help “letting all distinction and ceremony fall to the ground as useless and foppish.”

Court ceremony (and ballet) fared little better with subsequent monarchs.  William III was Dutch and Protestant: he worked hard, and had little interest in spectacles or polite society.  Anne's court was dull, and she was preoccupied with politics, difficult pregnancies, and poor health.  George I was Hanoverian and didn't speak much English.  He was very reclusive, and deliberately avoided public events and spectacle.

In these circumstances, there was little opportunity for ballet to flourish at court.  William Hogarth (an artist) later stated that the English hated “pompous un-meaning grand ballets”, preferring more lively & comic styles.

The English had loved commedia dell'arte, farce, and pantomime, at least as far back as the late 1500's.  From that century onwards, Italian troupes were constantly in England.  Charles II invited Tiberio Fiorillo (a well-known Italian mime) to perform at court five times.

Early in King George I's reign (which began in 1714), French pantomime troupes arrived, and became very popular.  Harlequin was a well-loved stock character, and appeared frequently in what one critic labelled “monstrous medlies”, throughout the 1700's and 1800's.

So at the end of the 1600's, ballet was seen as a “frivolous Circumstance”, or by the worst critics as a “suspect enterprise cloaking indecent impulses and vaguely related to prostitution”. But in the early 1700's, ballet suddenly made a great leap into what seemed, for a while, to be a prominent and even respected position in artistic life.

[mother-love-stone]

Thank youuuu @dearscone for the tag, this tag game is perfect!!! 💕💕💕💕

Post 10 songs you love, but not a lot of people know that you love them (or, that you don’t listen to as often as the rest of your favorite music)

(I am obsessed with this one ^)

(This one is THE best piece of classical music I've ever heared and the fact that it's under two minutes makes me feral)

(Underrated Romanian music is underrated)

(Goosebumps. Every time)

(Fun fact: the first version of this song I've heard was the bardcore one lmao)

(It just hits me in the feels)

(Randomly discovered these guys last September, they are awesome)

(Still not over my folk/viking/celtic metal phrase)

(The vibes are great)

(Again, a randomly discovered band that is pretty awesome)

Tagging @noezappl @spreadthecurse @mvickym @harold-of-the-rocks @whitedeadflower @stonesponytail @secretlfangirling only if you want to do it, ofc💕💕.

Also, for my new mutuals (hiiii🥰🥰) just tell me or let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future tag games!

[acrossthewavesoftime]

I was tagged by @cparti-mkiki to share a few albums close to my heart (I am not sure if it has to be four exactly which is why I included six) so here they are, in no particular order, and with a brief personal note/sales pitch:

La traverse miraculeuse (Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer & La Nef, 2008): with my profile picture, some naval-flavoured music was to be expected, right? Particular favourites include their bilingual take on the song Le combat de la Danaé, a French ship captured when outnumbered three to one by the Royal Navy in 1759 which proceded to serve as HMS Danae until 1771, and the classic Dans les prisons de Nantes.

Dark Cloud. Es geht ein dunkle Wolk herein. Lieder aus der Zeit des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1618-1648) (The Playfords, 2019): What it says on the tin. Songs of the Thirty Years' War, sometimes arranged traditionally, sometimes with a playfully modern twist. I am particularly fond of Es ist ein Schnitter heißt der Tod (There Is a Reaper Called Death), and Mit Lust von wenig Tagen (With the Delight of but Few Days) which you'll find, was a 'cover' of an extant song about some chap called William who really liked the colour orange and didn't talk very much apparently, has no business whatsoever being so catchy.

The Mad Lover - Sonatas, Suites, Fantasias & various Bizzarie from 17th-Century England (Théotime Langlois de Swarte & Thomas Dunford, 2020): I got a ticket to see them perform live with music from the album this summer, not really knowing anything besides that a) the tickets were criminally cheap and b) they would play baroque music from England in a historical palace. Not only can these men play their instruments, and play them well, but their genuine interactions with the audience and excitedly explaining their craft and thoughts on the pieces added to the enchanting music. By the third encore, everyone was singing along to Langlois playing Yesterday by the Beatles on his 360-year-old violin. I have to say, never felt an evening more authentically baroque to me. I highly recommend listening to the entire album in order (and of course seeing Langlois and Dunford perform live, if you can), but in case you want a brief taste, take Nicola Matteis Jr: Fantasia in A Minor.

Plain and Simple (The Dubliners, 1973). I grew up listenting to this album and don't recall a time when I didn't know who the Dubliners were (which may have had to do with the place I lived in at the time) and it doubtlessly impacted my interest in the Irish struggle for independence on account of several of the songs on it. An absolute gem is the uniquely-arranged The Jail of Cluain Meala, an 1820s song about an incarcerated Whiteboy (a secret late 18th century organisation whose aim was to protect the rights of tenant farmers, and whose name derived from the white clothing donned for their night-time raids) sung by the great Luke Kelly and accompanied by a harpsichord.

Dearest Enemy. An American Musical Comedy (Orchestra of Ireland et. al., recorded 2013): Because this is Tumblr, here's my favourite musical. First performed on Broadway in 1925, it's as cheesy an enemies-to-lovers why-is-he-so-hot-when-I-actually-hate-him story as one could imagine, but loosely based on historical events and with many a little historical squint-or-you'll-miss-it Easter egg to spice up the, following a rocky start, rather touchingly narrated love story of Betsy and Sir John that does not ignore their starkly contrasting political views. I would love to see a stage adaption- the mix of tunes still reminiscent of the operetta tradition of the 19th century often steeped in 1920s jazz and the 1770s setting would have so much potential. Favourites include Here in My Arms and Full Blown Roses. (And yes, that's John André with a lipstick mark on his cheek on the cover...)

L'Essentiel 1977-2007 (Francis Cabrel, 2007): Brings back all the memories of childhood summers for me. There was Francis Cabrel on in the car travelling to France on golden, endless summer holidays, with La Cabane du Pêcheur and Hors-saison having stuck with me in particular.

I'll tag @benjhawkins, @fleur-de-paris, @defensivelee, @vankeppel, @nordleuchten, @anarchist-mariner, @clove-pinks and @chiropteracupola (no pressure if you don't want to participate, consider it an invitation!) and anyone who would like to join!