Hip Hop music has been hailed as the current voice of the people, but can we trace its roots back to the medieval era? Indulge your imagination for a moment while we explore the earliest notated dance music from the 13th through 16th centuries, including saltarellos, estampies, basse danses and related works that first urged human folk to get up and shake that thing.
The estampie is among the earliest dance forms we know. The dance itself probably involved stomping or hopping movements, but the music was not always the simple rhythmic tattoo one might expect to accompany such motion.
The Sine Nomine Ensemble for Medieval Music performs an English Estampie from the late 13th century on the Amon Ra release, A Golden Treasury of Medieval Music. The New Orleans Musica Da Camera performs an estampie in the Italian style on their release from Centaur records entitled The Cross of Red.
Another collection of estampie can be found on the CD release from ensemble Oni Wytars entitled Amar e Trobar.
Watch a video of Oni Wytars performing their latest concert program, Musica Antiqua Italica, that includes Saltarelli, Laude, Ricercare and Villanelle:
Some estampie were based on vocal pieces, such as "Estampie d'après L'Autrier Matin," which was recorded by ensemble La Maurache on the Arion release, Musica Cathedralis: Chartres, XIIIe siecle.
The early 15th century saltarello was a dance of jumping or leaping steps. The Dufay Collective performs an Italian saltarello using shawms, sacbuts, and a whole circus of percussion on the Continuum CD release, A L'Estampida.
The basse danse was a popular form in the 15th and 16 centuries. Its name "low dance" implies it probably didn't involve much in the way of athleticism. Ensemble Hesperus performs the basse danse "La Roque" on their CD release, I Love Lucette: French Theatrical Chansons. The York Waits perform multiple basse danses on their release entitled Music from the Time of Richard III.
Our new release features the Clemencic Consort in a performance of music based on the poetry of Hadamar von Laber, preseumed to have lived from 1317 to 1354. This unusual CD entitled Hadamar von Laber: Jagd nach Liebe can be found on the Oehms Classics Label.
