Thepassamezzo (plural:passamezzi orpassamezzos) is an Italianfolk dance of the 16th and early 17th centuries.
Many pieces named "passamezzo" follow one of two chord progressions that came to be named after the dance,passamezzo antico andpassamezzo moderno.[1] The chord progression would be repeated numerous times in succession while the dance was being performed.[2]
According to Renaissance practices, the passamezzo dance is often followed by other dances in a triple time, such as thesaltarello,gagliarda orpaduana.[2]
There are many variant spellings. In Italian or international usage, the name is also rendered aspass'e mez(z)o,passo e mezzo, andpassomez(z)o. In early English usage, the names frequently incorporated the wordmeasure in afolk etymology, giving such renderings aspassemeasure,passingmeasure,passy-measures orpassemeasure(s)pavan, particularly to designate thepassamezzo antico progression. Passamezzi following thepassamezzo moderno progression are designated "quadro pavan" or "quadran(t) pavan."[1]
French printed collections of passamezzo antico settings emerged in the 1550s, edited by Claude Gervaise for Attaingnant and Jean d’Estrée for du Chemin.Catherine de’ Medici’s fondness for dancing encouraged the Franco-Italian musical exchange, as well as to promote a French counterpart to the Florentine Intermedii.[3]
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