Shakespeare and Music Part 17

L. 123.

_Sir To._ Wherefore are these things hid?... why dost thou not _go to church in a galliard_, and _come home in a coranto_? My very _walk_ should be a _jig_: ...

_sink-a-pace_. What dost thou mean? is it a world to hide virtues in? I did think, by the excellent const.i.tution of thy leg, it was formed under the _star of a galliard_.

To take these five dances in order--

1. Cinquepace is the name of the original Galliard. Praetorius (b.

1571) says a Galliard has _five_ steps, and is therefore called _Cinque_ Pas. These five steps are described in the Orchesographie, 1588. See the Note on that work for the explanation of the steps of this and other Shakespeare dances.

Beatrice's description seems to connect the cinquepace with the tottering and uncertain steps of old age. 'Repentance,' she says, 'with his _bad legs_ falls into the cinquepace faster and faster, till he _sink_ into his grave.'

2. Coranto is the Italian form of our Country dance. The Country dance is original in England, but under different foreign names has been called French or Italian. It means simply 'country' or 'rustic' dance.

Skeat is entirely opposed to the derivation from _Contra_ danza, with a supposed reference to two opposite lines of partners; and in this he is confirmed by Shakespeare, _Tempest_ IV, i, 138, 'country footing.'

The old English name was 'current traverse,' and Morley (1597) speaks of the Courant step as 'travising and running,' which would appear to connect the Italian word with _curro_. Sir John Davies (1570-1626), in his poem 'Orchestra,' identifies Rounds, Corantos, measures, and some other dances with Country Dances. That is, whatever the rhythm or speed of the actual tune used, these variously named Country Dances could be performed to it. Sir Roger de Coverly, our typical English Country Dance, is in _form_ almost the same as the Brawl, Coranto, Galliard, or measure. A Courant by Frescobaldi (1591-1640) is in triple time. As for its 'step,' Davies says it is 'on a triple dactile foot,' 'close by the ground with sliding pa.s.sages.' According to Sir Toby, it would be a quicker and gayer dance than the Galliard, for he compares the walk to church to the latter; but the more lighthearted journey back to dinner he likens to the Coranto. The Jig would be even faster, for Sir Andrew's 'very walk,' that is, his _week-day_ gait, was to be 'a jig.'

3. The Galliard, in accordance with its derivation, is properly described in _H. 5._ I, ii, 252, as a '_nimble_' galliard. This was extremely popular, both as a virginal piece and for dancing. There is quite a long list of Galliards by various composers, in Qu.

Elizabeth's Virginal Book. There are several in _Parthenia_ (1611) by Byrde, Bull, and Gibbons. They are always in triple time, and consist of either two or three strains of an even number of bars.

Sir Toby seems to connect a Galliard with somewhat violent 'capers.'

He remarks on the 'excellent const.i.tution' of Sir Andrew's leg, 'it was formed under the star of a galliard.' Sir Andrew complacently replies, 'Ay, 'tis strong,' upon which Sir Toby proposes to the foolish knight to give an example of his powers; 'Let me see thee _caper_. Ha! _higher_.' This capering or 'sault majeur' was also a feature of the 'high lavolt' [La Volta] mentioned in _Troilus_ IV, iv, 84, concerning which Sir John Davies says--

'An anapaest is all their music's song, Whose first two feet are short, and third is long.'

Also he calls the lavolte 'a lofty jumping.' Morley (1597) speaks of the Volte, and says it is characterised by 'rising and leaping,' and is of the same 'measure' as a coranto. These statements do not all agree with the 'Orchesographie.'

4. Jigg [later Gigue, and Jig]. The name comes from Giga (Geige), a sort of fiddle in use during the 12th and 13th centuries. The oldest jigs are Scottish, and were 'round dances' for a large number of people. As for the time of the Jig tunes, those of the 18th century were certainly written in a triple rhythm, like 3/8, 6/4 or 12/8. The Jegge of 1678, mentioned above, is in quick 6/4 time. But 'The Cobbler's Jig' [Appendix], 1622, and a Jigg by Matthew Locke, dated 1672, in his 'Compositions for Broken and Whole Consorts of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts,' are very decidedly in quick 4/4 time, and have no such characteristics as a 'dotted note' anywhere about them. Moreover, Bull's 'The King's Hunting Jigg,' is also in quick 4/4 time, with a similar absence of dotted notes. This last example is probably earlier than 1600. At any rate it was a lively dance, as we can learn from Hamlet.

_Hamlet_ II, ii, 504. The _1st Player_ recites a speech.

_Polonius._ This is _too long_.

_Hamlet._ It shall to the barber's, with your beard.--Pr'ythee (to the _1st Player_), say on: _he's for a jig, ... or he sleeps_.

5. Measure. Beatrice, in the quoted pa.s.sage from _Much Ado About Nothing_, gives a capital idea of the relative speed of the Scotch jig and the Measure. The jig, she says, is like the lover's wooing, hot, hasty, and fantastical; the measure, however, is like the Wedding, mannerly modest, full of state and ancientry.

The term Measure certainly seems to have been used to signify a particularly staid and formal dance. Selden (see above), at least, puts 'grave Measures' at the sober beginning of his list, and so goes on, by easy descent, through the more spirited Coranto, and tolerably lively Galliard, to the lower depths of the Cus.h.i.+on-Dance, which were reached towards the close of the evening, when the grave and reverend Elders may be supposed to have gone to bed.

But, besides this, the word appears to have been used generically, meaning merely 'a dance.' It was certainly applied to the Pa.s.samezzo, _and to other country dances_. In _H. 8._ I, iv, 104, King Henry says--

... 'I have half a dozen healths To drink to these fair ladies, and a _measure_ To lead 'em once again.'

The next pa.s.sage uses the word for a pun.

_As You_ V, iv, 178.

_Duke Senior._ _Play Music!_ and you brides and bridegrooms all, With _measure_ heap'd in joy, to the _measures_ fall.

L. 192.

_Jaques._ ... So, to your pleasures; I am for other than for _dancing measures_.

A similar play upon the word is in _Richard II._ III, iv, 6, where the queen asks her ladies to propose some sport to drive away care.

_1 Lady._ Madam, we'll dance.

_Queen._ My legs can keep no _measure_ in delight, When my poor heart no _measure_ keeps in grief: Therefore, no dancing, girl.

See especially the following, which holds a whole string of quibbles.

_L.L.L._ V, ii, 184. Masked ball.

_King of Navarre._ Say to her, we have _measur'd_ many miles, To tread a _measure_ with her on this gra.s.s.

_Boyet_ (to the ladies). They say, that they have _measur'd_ many a mile, To tread a _measure_ with you on this gra.s.s.

_Rosaline._ It is not so. Ask them how many inches Is in one mile: if they have _measur'd_ many, The _measure_ then of one is easily told.

_Boyet._ If, to come hither, you have _measur'd_ miles, And many miles, the princess bids you tell, How many inches do fill up one mile.

_Biron._ Tell her, we _measure_ them by weary _steps_.

And l. 209, _measure_.

Another dance that is frequently referred to is the Dump, the slow and mournful character of which has already been explained in the notes on _Lucrece_ 1127. As a serenade it is named in the _Two Gent._ III, ii, 83. The nature of the steps of this dance is not certainly known. Two features, however, may be guessed at--viz., a tapping of the foot at certain places, which may be inferred from the possible connection of the word with 'Thump'; and secondly, an alternation of a slow sliding step, interspersed with dead pauses, and a quicker movement, succeeded again by the slow step. These last seem to be indicated by the music of 'My Lady Carey's Dump,' part of which is given in the Appendix. The character of the Dump has given us the modern expression of 'in the dumps'--_i.e._, sulky; and this is also used commonly in Shakespeare.

In the next pa.s.sage, Peter, Capulet's servant, speaks ironically of a 'merry' dump, and quotes verse 1 of Richard Edwards' song, 'When griping grief.' For an account of that song see Section III., about Songs and Singing. In Peter's quotation, the dumps are 'doleful.'

The quibbles on 'silver sound,' 'sweet sound,' 'sound for silver,' 'no _gold_ for sounding,' are further examples of Shakespeare's fondness for joking on musical matters. Peter's reply to the Third Musician, 'You are the singer; I will _say_ for you,' may be a just reflection on Mr James Soundpost's lack of words, or perhaps indicates that the p.r.o.nunciation of singers even in that musical age was no better than it is now.

The improvised names of the musicians are pointed enough; Simon 'Catling,' referring to the material of his viol strings; Hugh 'Rebeck,' the rebeck being the ancient English fiddle with three strings. The 'smale' Ribible, which Absolon, the parish clerk in Chaucer, used to play 'songes' on, is supposed to be the same instrument; and finally, James 'Soundpost,' which wants no explaining.

The final remark of Musician 2 is delicious, 'tarry for the mourners, and stay dinner.'

_Rom._ IV, v, 96. After Juliet's apparent death.

_Exeunt Capulet, Lady C., Paris, etc._

_1 Musician._ 'Faith, we may _put up our pipes_, and be gone.

_Nurse._ Honest good fellows, ah! _put up, put up_; For well you know, this is a pitiful _case_.

_1 Mus._ Ay, by my troth, the _case_ may be amended.

(See _H. 5._ III, ii, 42, about Bardolph and the lute case.)

_Enter Peter._

_Peter._ Musicians, O, musicians! "Heart's ease, Heart's ease": O! an you will have me live, play "Heart's ease."