Farandole
Encyclopedia
The farandole is an open-chain community dance
popular in the County of Nice
, France
. The farandole bears similarities to the gavotte
, jig
, and tarantella
. The carmagnole
of the French Revolution
is a derivative.
Traditionally led by the abbat-mage holding a ribboned halberd
, the dancers hold hands and skip at every beat; strong beats on one foot, alternating left and right, with the other foot in the air, and weak beats with both feet together. In the village of Belvédère
, on the occasion of the festival honoring patron Saint Blaise
, the most recently-married couple leads the dance.
Musically, the dance is in 6/8 time, with a moderate to fast tempo, and played by a flute
and drum
. Georges Bizet
included a farandole in his L'Arlésienne
suite.
Many people use a variety of questionable evidence to argue that the farandole has a history going back to the Middle Ages
. While there are descriptions of line and circle dances, and iconography showing people dancing in lines and circles, there is no evidence that the medieval dance was done like the modern folk farandole. Arbeau, the most well-known source for renaissance line and circle dances such as the branle
, does not contain any dance with these specific steps and figures.
In Tchaikovsky
's The Sleeping Beauty ballet the dames propose a farandole in Scene IV of the Second Act.
A farandole is present in the classical saxophone piece 'Tableaux de Provence' by Paule Maurice, and makes up the first movement out of 5.
wrote a song called "The Farandole". It includes an electric and bass guitar soloing together with drums keeping up the rhythm. In their early days Dream Theater
(then only consisting of Johns Myung
and Petrucci
and Mike Portnoy
) did a go on this song, available on The Majesty Demos 1985-1986
of the YtseJam Records Official Bootleg Series.
In Madeleine L'Engle
's A Wind in the Door
, the Farandolae are fictional creatures that live inside mitochondria, and do circular "dances" around their "trees of origin."
Jazz musician Bob James
arranged and recorded a jazz version of Farandole from Bizet's
L'Arlésienne
Suite No. 2 on his album Two
(1975).
Currently, the popular punk/ska band Streetlight Manifesto opens their shows to the tune of Farandole.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
popular in the County of Nice
County of Nice
The County of Nice or Niçard Country is a historical region of France, located in the south-eastern part, around the city of Nice.-History:Its territory lies between the Mediterranean Sea , Var River and the southernmost crest of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The farandole bears similarities to the gavotte
Gavotte
The gavotte originated as a French folk dance, taking its name from the Gavot people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné, where the dance originated. It is notated in 4/4 or 2/2 time and is of moderate tempo...
, jig
Jig
The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
, and tarantella
Tarantella
The term tarantella groups a number of different southern Italian couple folk dances characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 6/8 time , accompanied by tambourines. It is among the most recognized of traditional Italian music. The specific dance name varies with every region, for instance...
. The carmagnole
Carmagnole
La Carmagnole, the name of the short jacket worn by working-class militant sans-culottes adopted from the Piedmontese peasant costume whose name derives from the town of Carmagnola, is the title of a French song created and made popular during the French Revolution, based on a tune and a wild dance...
of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
is a derivative.
Traditionally led by the abbat-mage holding a ribboned halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
, the dancers hold hands and skip at every beat; strong beats on one foot, alternating left and right, with the other foot in the air, and weak beats with both feet together. In the village of Belvédère
Belvédère
Belvédère is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. The village of Belvédère is an attractive village sitting above the river Vésubie at the entrance of the Gordolasque valley.-Population:-History:-The Bronze Age:...
, on the occasion of the festival honoring patron Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise
Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, the most recently-married couple leads the dance.
Musically, the dance is in 6/8 time, with a moderate to fast tempo, and played by a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
. Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
included a farandole in his L'Arlésienne
L'Arlésienne Suites
The incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne was composed by Georges Bizet for the first performance of the play on 1 October 1872 at the Vaudeville Theatre...
suite.
Many people use a variety of questionable evidence to argue that the farandole has a history going back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. While there are descriptions of line and circle dances, and iconography showing people dancing in lines and circles, there is no evidence that the medieval dance was done like the modern folk farandole. Arbeau, the most well-known source for renaissance line and circle dances such as the branle
Branle
A branle l)—also bransle, brangle, brawl, brawle, brall, braul, or brantle —or brainle—is a 16th-century French dance style which moves mainly from side to side, and is performed by couples in either a line or a circle.The word is derived from the French verb branler , possibly related to brander...
, does not contain any dance with these specific steps and figures.
In Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
's The Sleeping Beauty ballet the dames propose a farandole in Scene IV of the Second Act.
A farandole is present in the classical saxophone piece 'Tableaux de Provence' by Paule Maurice, and makes up the first movement out of 5.
In popular culture
During his time in the 80's metal band "Talas", Billy SheehanBilly Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
wrote a song called "The Farandole". It includes an electric and bass guitar soloing together with drums keeping up the rhythm. In their early days Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
(then only consisting of Johns Myung
John Myung
John Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
and Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
and Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
) did a go on this song, available on The Majesty Demos 1985-1986
Majesty Demos
- Ytsejam Records re-release track listing :- Personnel :* Chris Collins – vocals on tracks 18-23* Kevin Moore – keyboards on tracks 18-23* John Myung – bass* John Petrucci – guitars* Mike Portnoy – drums; keyboards on track 6...
of the YtseJam Records Official Bootleg Series.
In Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time...
's A Wind in the Door
A Wind in the Door
A Wind in the Door is a young adult science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle. It is a companion book to A Wrinkle in Time, and part of the Time Quartet .-Plot summary:...
, the Farandolae are fictional creatures that live inside mitochondria, and do circular "dances" around their "trees of origin."
Jazz musician Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
arranged and recorded a jazz version of Farandole from Bizet's
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
L'Arlésienne
L'Arlésienne Suites
The incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play L'Arlésienne was composed by Georges Bizet for the first performance of the play on 1 October 1872 at the Vaudeville Theatre...
Suite No. 2 on his album Two
Two (Bob James album)
-Reception:This album is the second of a series of jazz-funk classics . Released in 1975, this album charted at number two on the Jazz Album Charts...
(1975).
Currently, the popular punk/ska band Streetlight Manifesto opens their shows to the tune of Farandole.