Muse of dance

Skip Sempé
Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra

One of the most prolific composers of the entire Renaissance period, Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) collected and
arranged more than 300 dances for his publication Terpsichore. This "Bible" of Renaissance dance music contains
music composed by Praetorius, French composers from the court of Henri IV and anonymous masters, which stand
at the crossroads of the German, Italian and French traditions. The selections from Terpsichore are complemented
with music by William Brade, a great but unknown English contemporary of Praetorius: Brade's instrumental
collections have been just as neglected as those of Praetorius have been celebrated.
In the true Sempe tradition, the instrumentation is rich, colourful and luxurious. Bowed strings are combined with
woodwind, brass and plucked consorts of harpsichords and lutes in 4 "Ballets" reconstructed by Skip Sempe. In the
true Paradizo tradition, and following the Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra’s award-winning recording of
the Intermedii for La Pellegrina, Skip Sempe demonstrates yet again his dedication to unknown repertoires of the
European Renaissance - rare but important - and to a ground-breaking manner of performing this music.