(Arranged and published by Michael Praetorius)
“Dances from Terpsichore” is music that comes from a collection named Terpsichore, after the muse of dance, or sometimes Terpsichore Musarum Aoniarum. It comprises at least 300 instrumental dances that hail from the dance repertoire of France and others from other European countries.
These dances were compiled, arranged and published by the German composer Michael Praetorius in 1612, with the publication becoming popular during the early music revival of the 20th century.
The dances have been performed on a variety of historical instruments as there seemed to be no definitive instruction as to what was played on what. The violin and wind instruments are widely used but consorts and ensembles have used a whole range of historical instruments.
Arrangements of the courante and bourree have been used for music in popular culture, including the rock version of “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead” which was a hit for the band The Fifth Estate in 1967 and in a ballet sequence in the 1971 film The Devils.
Several recordings have been made of selections of the dances which include Motets for Double Chorus, Brass and Organ by Brass Ensemble of the Musique des Gardiens de la Paix de Paris and Philippe Caillard Vocal Ensemble, Daentze Aus “Terpsichore”-Daentze und Galliarden-3 Suiten Aus “Banchetto Musicale” by Collegium Terpsichore, Music by Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore/Motets from Musae Sioniae by The Early Music Consort of London, The Mediaeval Sound by David Munrow, Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore by the New London Consort and Dances from Terpsichore by The Parley of Instruments Renaissance Violin Band along with may others.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terpsichore_(Praetorius)
- https://www.brasswindpublications.co.uk/acatalog/Dances_from__Terpsichore_.html
- https://www.goodmusicpublishing.co.uk/products/GMCL083-01/dances-from-terpsichore-violin-1
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/856233-Michael-Praetorius?query=dances%20from%20terpsichore
- https://www.allmusic.com/album/praetorius-dances-from-terpsichore-mw0001840975?1675698022708
- https://imslp.org/wiki/Terpsichore,_Musarum_Aoniarum_(Praetorius,_Michael)
- https://naxosdirect.co.uk/items/praetorius-dances-from-terpsichore-145381