Meredith Little

Natalie Jenne

A unique study of dance forms and rhythms in the Baroque composer’s repertoire. Stylized dance music and music based on dance rhythms pervade Bach’s compositions. Although the music of this very special genre has long been a part of every serious musician’s repertoire, little has been written about it. The original edition of this book addressed works that bore the names of dances—a considerable corpus. In this expanded version of their practical and insightful study, Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne apply the same principles to the study of a great number of Bach’s works that use identifiable dance rhythms but do not bear dance-specific titles. Part I describes French dance practices in the cities and courts most familiar to Bach. The terminology and analytical tools necessary for discussing dance music of Bach’s time are laid out. Part II presents the dance forms that Bach used, annotating all of his named dances. Little and Jenne draw on choreographies, harmony, theorists’ writings, and the music of many seventeenth- and eighteenth-century composers in order to arrive at a model for each dance type. Additionally, in Appendix A all of Bach’s named dances are listed in convenient tabular form; included are the BWV number for each piece, the date of composition, the larger work in which it appears, the instrumentation, and the meter. Appendix B supplies the same data for pieces recognizable as dance types but not named as such. More than ever, this book will stimulate both the musical scholar and the performer with a new perspective at the rhythmic workings of Bach’s remarkable repertoire of dance-based music.

Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach

Carol G. Marsh

An Inventory of Dances and Sources

La Danse Noble

Steven Foster

Blending numerous heritages, wisdoms, and teachings, this powerfully wrought book encourages people to take charge of their lives, heal themselves, and grow. Movingly rendered, The Book of the Vision Quest is for all who long for renewal and personal transformation. In this revised edition—with two new chapters and added tales from vision questers—Steven Foster recounts his experiences guiding contemporary seekers. He recreates an ancient rite of passage—that of “dying,” “passing through,” and “being reborn”—known as a vision quest. A sacred ceremony that culminates in a three-day, three-night fast, alone, in a place of natural power, the vision quest is a mystical, practical, and intensely personal journey of self-knowledge.

Book Of Vision Quest

Persephone Rising

Stylized dance music and music based on dance rhythms pervade Bach's compositions. Although this very special genre has long been a part of every serious musician's repertoire, little has been written about it. The original edition of this book addressed Bach's stylized dance pieces that actually bear the names of dances. In this expanded version of their practical and insightful study, Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne apply the same principles to a great number of Bach's works that exhibit identifiable dance rhythms but do not bear dance-specific titles.

Dance and the Music of J.S. Bach

Louise Carus Mahdi

Betwixt and Between offers new insights into the basic elements of initiations and rites of passage. The absence of these traditional supports creates problems in the lives of those who are caught in the void and lack definite expectations at various times of their lives. The chapters on masculine and feminine initiation provide new and creative concepts and practical possibilities for each of us. Initiation has been a missing component in the modern world and needs to be re-introduced with new understanding and consciousness.

Meredith Little

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