Galliard

What it means

The galliard is a lively couple dance of the Renaissance in triple time. It was widespread at the courts of Europe in the sixteenth century and known for its powerful leaps, with which the dancers showed their skill.

Characteristic is a basic step of five movements distributed over six beats — the fifth step is a leap, after which the dancers land in a pose. Musically this is matched by triple time with frequent hemiolas, that is, displacements of emphasis in which two triple bars sound like three duple bars.

The galliard was usually played as the after-dance to the pavane, a slow, striding dance in duple time. Often both used the same melodic material: the galliard was then a rhythmically remodelled, livelier version of the pavane. This pair of slow fore-dance and fast after-dance is a forerunner of the later suite.

In the notation

The galliard is in triple time, in the transmission often in large note values, in modern editions usually in 3/4 time. It is articulated into several repeated sections. The hemiolas show in ties and accents that set the duple rhythm against the triple metre.

Musical use

The galliard was one of the most important dances of the sixteenth century and is transmitted in dance collections, in lute and keyboard music, and in ensemble music. Especially in English music around 1600, artful galliards arose that were no longer intended for dancing.

In the Renaissance the galliard usually followed the slow pavane and took up its melody in fast triple time. It was known for its leaps. The basic pattern of five steps with a leap was called cinque passi. It is in triple time.

Performance practice

Keep the tempo lively but so that the leaps have time — the dance is vigorous, not hasty. Bring out the hemiolas distinctly. Ornament repeats, as was customary in the practice of the time. And find out about the step sequence, for it explains the accents.