Three Breton Dances (String Quartet)

for String Quartet

1.  Dérobée / Ridée 6 Temps
2.  Dañs Tro Plin
3.  An Dro

Performed by Katharine Roy, Katie Brestel, Melissa Doussard, and Steven Danan.

Program notes:

Three Breton Dances is a suite based on folk tunes from Brittany, an isolated Celtic culture on the northwestern coast of France. The dance forms and tunes used here (the Dérobée / Ridée 6 Temps, the Dañs Tro Plin, and the An Dro) have been preserved for thousands of years, and are probably as close as we come to authentic medieval music. They are still a central part of the Breton cultural identity, with simple steps that large groups can enjoy. Traditionally, the tunes would be continuously repeated by a bombarde (primitive oboe), drone, and drum. My rendition for string quartet is less literal, incorporating polymorphic harmonies and rhythms for a hybrid of jollity.

Music Copyright © Eric M. Pazdziora. All Rights Reserved.

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