Les Bouffons, from Orchésographie (string trio)

Title: Les Bouffons, from Orchésographie

Composer: Thoinot Arbeau, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin; Violin 2 or Viola; Cello

Printout: 8 pages

Note: Orchésographie is a late sixteenth century dance manual in which dance steps are written alongside the music. Arbeau gives only eight bars of Les Bouffons, but musicians of the time would have repeated it as needed and embellished on the repetitions. In keeping with that tradition, I have given the tune a series for variations in which the melody is passed from instrument to instrument.