Fulgente Stella

This cascarda is unusual for several reasons: it can be done by two or four dancers; and although the music begins in fast compound duple (as is usual in cascarde), it changes to simple duple part way through the verse. The dance seems to be a blend of a 'normal' Caroso cascarda and the sort of simple-duple dance for two couples described by Negri (e.g. Spagnoletto, Bizzaria d'Amore, etc.). The notes below are for one couple; there is an alternate second and third verse at the end, for dancing with two couples. Note that when danced by one couple the man takes the woman's left hand first (which is very unusual); in the version for two couples, they take right hands first in normal way.

Soli:

Caroso describes one man dancing toward his partner. If there are two couples it's not clear whether the men should dance the two passi directly forwards, and direct their meza riverenze to each of the women in turn, or whether each should dance towards his own partner. I prefer the first option.

Intrecciata / hey / exchange of places:

This is the only place where Caroso mentions the possibility of a second couple.

Literally, he says:

"Note that if the cascarda is done by four, the intrecciata (interweaving, hey) should be done this way: the men take their own ladies, who are to their right, by the right hands, and they do two seguiti spezzati; and releasing that hand, they do two passi presti turning to the left, and a cadenza facing, exchanging places; then, taking the left hand of the lady, they will do the same, each returning to his own place. If this dance is done by two, he does the same thing, taking the left hand first and the the right. Once the intrecciata is done, they do . . . [chorus]"

Clearly each man first takes the hand of his own lady; whose does he take the second time?

If each man takes his own partner's hand on both occasions, he will 'return to his own place', as Caroso says, but there is no interaction between the couples, no hey / intrecciata. If, instead, he takes the other lady's hand for the second exchange of places, the couples interact, there is an increcciata, but he will end up on the other side of the square (each dancer will return to his own place during the third verse). This is very like the hey passages in Negri's dances for two couples.

Either option seems reasonable; I prefer the second, giving more weight to the repeated use of the term 'intrecciata', than the single use of the phrase 'tornando ogn'uno al suo luogo'.

Final Passi, Riverenza:

I've previously interpretted this as four slow passi (each taking the time of a spezzato), with the final Riverenza outside the music. I now wonder why I did not choose passi at their regular pace, and a final riverenza minima (taking the time of two spezzati) in the music. I shall experiment with both.