Tielman Susato: Dansereye (1551), renaissance dances

[Martin Jonas]

Tielman Susato (1510/15 – after 1570): Danserye (1551)
(Edition Williamson, Copyright Victor Freyer)

I've been a big fan of Susato's renaissance dances ever since I first came across them, long before I took up the mandolin, and Susato's rondes were among the first multi-track recordings I made, back in 2012. Listening to them now is rather painful as I hadn't really got to grips with the recording process yet. I've now had another go at four of Susato's tunes, and I'm a lot happier with the outcome.

For my recordings, I was playing from Victor Freyer's edition at:

http://www.victorfreyer.com/music110228.html

The music is identical to Susato's urtext at IMSLP, so for the arrangement it makes no difference which edition is used, but this score is nicely edited for performing, and suitable for mandolin with the top three voices in treble clef (I picked up a mistaken accidental in Freyer's edition of Ronde III and have reverted to the urtext on that).

All tunes recorded as mandolin quartet, on three identical mandolins plus mandocello.

Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin (x3)
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello

A) Bergerette No. 4

This is the fourth tune in the Danserye collection, an unnamed "bergerette", or shepherds' dance. All pictures by Pieter Bruegel The Elder.



B) Basse danse No. 10 "Mon Desir"

This is the tenth basse danse in the Danserye collection. The basse danse was a precursor of the pavane, a stately court dance.



C) Ronde I "Pour quoy" & Ronde III

These are first and third of the nine rondes in the Danserye collection -- as the two tunes are obviously related, I am running them together as a single tune.



Martin