The English Stage Jig - Musical Comedies 16th/17th Century auf CD

Hinreißende Kleinodien
Lebhaftes Tanzlied der Britischen Inseln mit spöttischen, oft auch vulgären Texten – so lässt sich der Jig knapp definieren. Im 16. Jahrhundert war er in England weit verbreitet, erst später wurde er zum typischen Tanz Irlands. Unter Jig verstand man damals eine Art humoristisches Schauspiel, ähnlich der Commedia dell'arte, wobei der Tanz im Vordergrund stand. Lucie Skeaping und ihr Ensemble präsentieren einige dieser hinreißenden Kleinodien als Weltersteinspielungen.

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An unusual and delightfully bawdy offering from the irrepressible Lucie Skeaping and her collaborators The City Waites.

Today we think of a jig as simply a dance, but in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England the word was used to describe a short musical farce featuring songs, dancing and slapstick comedy. By 1590 Jigs were thoroughly established in the London theatres as the standard ending or Afterpiece to more serious theatrical fare; they could be satirical, sentimental, libellous, riotous and often downright obscene, offering a shameless and frequently subversive antidote to the plays which preceded them. The characters are cuckolded husbands, adulterous wives, milkmaids, whores, city wide-boys, muggers and thieves, the plots often taken from folk tales but updated for city audiences with slapstick and comic twists of fate.

These jigs all appear here in their premiere recordings. In committing these works to disc for the first time, Lucie Skeaping has given us a unique and tantalising glimpse of theatrical history. Artfully presented and recorded, they contain all the quick-fire banter, robust language and delight in linguistic play that marked the age, all set to some of the most delightful popular tunes England has ever produced.

An entertaining cameo from Catherine Bott is among the many uproarious performances.

Rezensionen

'Clarity of diction, inventive direction and an infectious sense of fun combine to capture the spirit of the genre' (Early Music Today)

'a truly unusual program of musical comedy all recorded for the first time… These are excellent performances' (American Record Guide, USA)

'These performers … provide a fascinating, informative glimpse into what the general populace of England was enjoying … The singing and instrumental performances are as genially accomplished as ever … Skeaping and the Waites let in a bracing breeze' (BBC Music Magazine)