Le parfaict danser

The perfect dancer is memory, tempo, style, how the body is held, the diversity of things and the sharing of space...”. So begins one of the first dance treatises in history, written by the Italian dancing master Antonio Cornazzano in the 15th century. To go beyond the steps and figures he describes is to understand the symbolic role of this art, its aim to unite earthbound humanity with the kingdom of God.

This recording echoes this universalist vision, following the thread of the first notated dances and exploring the songs or pieces that were sometimes also the source and inspiration of more refined compositions: Estampies and other forgotten dances of the Middle Ages; aristocratic basse-danses that were in vogue at the court of Burgundy; saltarelli of the bourgeoning Italian Renaissance; allemandes and heady branles danced at the revels of François I.

Into the Winds gleefully explores a great variety of spaces and aesthetics and reveal the timelessness of this art more than ever.

Elegance is the order of the day, and with particular thanks to the variety of instruments and their rare timbres, the interpretiation underlines the musical refinement of each piece [...] Guided by their passion for the sound of early winds, the ensemble Into the Winds plays magnificently with colors, with sharpness and sweetness, alternating intimite melodies and resounding tunes, drawing us into a unique and fascinating soundscape. Gérard Pangon, Musikzen

The chronological progression takes us skillfully from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. From perfect consonance and purely contrapuntal thinking, we venture towards harmonic enrichment, inviting thirds and sixths into a language that gradually becomes "tonal" (Attaingnant, Gervaise, Phalèse). All this in a program that cleverly unfolds from piece to piece. Anne Ibos-Augé, Diapason Magazine

With taste, finesse and lightness, the ensemble Into the Winds takes us back in time...dancing to the delight of music lovers. Simply jubilant! Jean-Jacques Millo, Opus Haute Définition

Into the Winds

Adrien Reboisson : shawm, bombard, bass curtal & recorders
Anabelle Guibeaud : shawm & recorders
Marion Le Moal : bombard & recorders
Rémi Lécorché : buisine, slide trumpet, sackbut & recorders
Laurent Sauron : drums

Judith Paquier : artistic director for the recording
Jérôme Lejeune : sound recording and production