Two "Branles Couppez" (Cut Branles) of Champagne

• Era: mid-1500s

"Our [musicians] of Lengres play ten in a suite, which they call the cut branles of Champagne."
          -- Capriol to Arbeau in a dialogue from Orchésographie; my translation. 

In Thoinot Arbeau's (pseudonym of Jehan Tabourot) 1589 dance manual, Orchésographie (available in English translation as Orchesography), the second set of branles he discusses are the "branles de Champagne couppez," or "cut branles of Champagne," one of a number of popular sets or "suittes" [sic] of branles.  Branles couppez, he explains, are characterized by a mix of steps, kicks, and jumps derived from the opening set of branles, with the occasional insertion of "mesures diverses" which do not follow the regular rhythms of the opening set.

Unfortunately, Arbeau gives only the first and second branles in the suite: the "branles de Cassandre & Pinagay."  He goes on to describe three other popular branles couppez and mentions an "infinity of others," but there is no indication that these three are intended as further branles in the same suite.  As with the Branles d'Escosse, we are left with only a truncated suite of two branles.

Performance
Formation: a line or circle of people holding hands.  Couples (men to the left of their partners) were the standard, but there are no gender-specific moves in this set of branles.  New couples joining in should attach themselves to the trailing lady rather than usurping the place of the leading gentleman.  All steps are taken sideways, rather than forward and back.  Steps should be small (about shoulder-width); hops and kicks should be restrained and fairly gentle.  Arbeau states that they should be danced "legierement sans sault" (lightly, without jumping), though he then immediately contradicts himself by noting that they may also be danced with "petits saultz" (small jumps), a topic I will address in a separate post.  (Edited to add: that post is here.)

Generally a line or circle of dancers moves slowly to the left during branles, as steps in that direction are made slightly larger than steps to the right.  But both of these branles are unusual in having asymmetrical floor patterns: Cassandre has more steps to the right and Pinagay more to the left.  These asymmetries will, respectively, reduce or increase the usual leftward drift.

Translation of terms from French into English
Double: double (sideways step-together-step-close)
Simple: single (sideways step-close)
Pied en l'air: kick

When performing a kick, the dancer should hop on one foot and kick the given foot gently forward.  So for a "kick left," one hops on the right foot and kicks the left foot forward.

(left, illustration of "pied en l'air gauche," or "kick left")

1. Branle Cassandre
Double left.  Double right.  (Repeat)
Double left.  Double right.  Single left.  Double right.  (Repeat)

Counts/Steps
1-4     Step left, close right, step left, close right  (double left)
5-8     Step right, close left, step right, close left (double right)
(Repeat)
1-4     Step left, close right, step left, close right  (double left)
5-8     Step right, close left, step right, close left (double right)   
1-2     Step left, close right.  (single left)
3-6     Step right, close left, step right, close left (double right) 
(Repeat)

Cassandre is the first branle discussed by Arbeau to have an uneven rhythm pattern and the first to have two distinct parts which are repeated separately.   The steps are perfectly matched to the tune; you can "hear" the single step in the music clearly.

2. Branle Pinagay
Double left.  Kick left.  Double left.  Kick left, kick right, kick left.
Double left.  Double right.

Counts/Steps
1-4     Step left, close right, step left, close right  (double left)
5         Kick left
1-4     Step left, close right, step left, close right  (double left)
5-7     Kick left, kick right, kick left
1-4     Step left, close right, step left, close right  (double left)
5-8     Step right, close left, step right, close left (double right)  

This branle has an even more unusual rhythm pattern, and as with Cassandre the steps are perfectly matched to the tune.  The three-kick sequence is done in an even rhythm rather than the "quick-quick-slow" rhythm of a decoupement.  Though there is no indication of it in the original tablature, some recordings repeat the final eight counts of double left-double right before restarting the sequence.

Recordings for Dancing
There is quite a selection of recordings for Pinagay; Cassandre is harder to find.  The New York Renaissance Band's Thoinot Arbeau: The Music of Arbeau's Orchesographie (now out of print, though individual MP3 files of each tune can be purchased) has individual tracks of both, though the Pinagay is played at an oddly slow tempo.  The Broadside Band's Danses Populaires Francaises includes Cassandre and Pinagay in a suite with Branle Charlotte on one track, though with inconveniently-timed pauses between them.  Compagnie Maître Guillaume's Dance Music Of The French Renaissance includes a very nice Pinagay, as does Wolgemut's delightful Tempus Saltandi.  Pinagay may also be found on harpist Nancy Hurrell's Balletto, and Jouissance's Courtly Dances of Western Europe.

Comments

[Marilee J. Layman]

I'm rereading The Garden of Iden for Saturday's bookgroup and I'd forgotten there's a Christmas dance where they do branles along with other dances.

[Susan de Guardiola]

When/where is the book set? I'm not familiar with it.

[Marilee J. Layman]

Well, it's a time travel book, but they spend most of their time during Queen Mary's reign in Britain. This is the first of Kage Baker's The Company books and not the best. However, the library group insists on reading the first book of series. When I put my review up, we had a lot of disagreement.