Verceppe

STYLE

Cornazano says this dance is "somewhat like a skirmish" (quasi simile ad una scaramuccia).

TIMING the CONTRAPASSI IN BASSADANZA

The 4 1/2 tempi of bassazanza are hard to count.

1. Doppio left: L-&-R-L-&-a counting 1-2-3-4-5-6
2. Doppio right:  R-&-L-R-&-a counting 1-2-3-4-5-6
3. 2 contrapassi, taking the third tempo and half of the fourth tempo: L-R-L-&-L-R-L-&a, counted 1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3
4. ripresa, taking six beats as usual, but danced across the second half of the fourth tempo and the first half of the fifth tempo

It's as if there is a phrase that is 3 1/2 tempi long (2 doppii, then 2 contrapassi), finishing with a half-tempo, then a new tempo starts the next 3-tempo phrase, which contains the ripresa of the men and then the women's voltatonda. 

Note that neither Domenico nor Cornazano names "contrapassi": they just draw a distinction between doubles "beginning (comencando) with the left foot" and doubles "on the left foot" (suxo el pie sinistro) or "one one foot" (in s'uno pede). This is usual for Domenico, but later in the dance (in the quadernaria section immediately following) Cornazano specifies contrapassi by name.

TIMING the CONTRAPASSI IN QUADERNARIA

There are three and a half tempi (or four tempi, depending how your musicians interpret it) in which to do 3 contrapassi and a mezavolta.

This suggests that, in this case, the crucial element of the contrapassi is that the series of doubles is done on the same foot, not that they're contracted - shorter than 'normal' doubles.

So, tempo by tempo:

1. left-right-left-change weight (tiny step back onto the right foot, lowering the heels)
2. left-right-left-change weight 
3. left-right-left-pause
4. mezavolta (pivot counter-clockwise on the left foot)(half tempo)

It's not clear from the text whether the second set of contrapassi should be on the left or the right foot. I like to do them on the right. This follows the pattern of other dances where a second set of contrapassi is specified as being done on the other side. Aesthestically: I like the moment at the end of the mezavolta where one balances with the right foot ready, before moving forward into the steps on the other foot; I like the alternation of counter-clockwise with clockwise mezavolte (both within this passage, and for the first man, between this passage and the next).

TIMING the SALTARELLO where the men weave

The text specifies four tempi of saltarello, but the music has more than that - at least five, depending how you count things

We generally start dancing saltarello at the start, where the misura is most clearly marked, then use the extra beats to 'settle' before the bassadanza. It can be a pleasing moment of stillness after vigorous movement. Domenico finishes the description of the movement with e afermansse tuti dui (and both stop/pause) - often a clue to a pause through some beats of music, not just the instantaneous cessation of movement.

There is a similar pause at the end of the next section of saltarelli, in which the first and last men circle the women in three saltarello, where the music has 3 1/2 or 4 tempi.

PATTERN in the SALTARELLO

The weaving pattern is straightforward, and prevents collissions, just as Cornazano says.

The circling pattern is less so, at least when using Smith's (usually excellent) translation. Skimming from Smith's translation - "The men ... return to their original places" - I had the men swap places a second time. This gives a contradiction at the end of the dance, where the original first man should end at the rear. Domenico, however, says only that the men return ale loro poste - "to their places".

The word "original" is confusing here. Ale loro poste - "to their places" - presents a question - their places at the beginning of the dance? or at the beginning of the current figure? - that must be answered from clues elsewhere in the dance (here: clearly "at the beginning of the figure", as that is compatible with the later comment that they've changed places since the beginning of the dance). "To their original places" leads a casual reader to choose "at the beginning of the dance" without considering the question.

The question can go either way - Domenico also uses  tornano ale poste sue - "returning to their places" - immediately afterwards to describe the women exchanging places for the second time. Context and extra clues are needed to interpret the phrase.