Tielman Susato is listed as the name on this collection, not because he was the composer, but because in addition to being a composer, Susato's primary business for many years was as a publisher of music. This music comes from the book that he published on dance music - it was the only such book he produced, preferring polyphonic music, choral and church music to things like dance music. However, music publishing was a good business, and many amateurs paid to have arrangements done that they could then practice with (professional dance musicians, ironically for this collection, rarely used printed music but rather preferred improvisation and knew their material by heart).
This collection is performed on period instruments of the 1500s, which include violins, viols, rebec, hurdy-gurdy, lutes, guitars, cittern, trumpets, cornetts, sackbuts, serpent, recorders, gemshorne, flutes, crumhorns, curtals, shawms, racketts, sorduns, regal, organ, harpischord and percussion. This particular recording is envisioned as if it were a single evenings' dance and entertainment at court, where dancing was as much an art form as it was a social event.
The music here derives from formal compositions of musics and tunes as well as popular folk songs. Susato is most likely not the composer of most of the music (indeed, may not be composer of any), but put things into arrangements that has a sensitivity both to the dance aspects as well as the artistic merits of the music itself.
The music here is performed by the New London Consort, a group with great experience in early and Renaissance music, under the direction of Philip Pickett. The pieces performed here range from small ensembles (4 lutes for one; regal and nakers for another) to pieces with massive orchestration (cornet, 3 sackbuts, 2 violins, 4 viols, 7 recorders, curtal, organ, harpischord, 5 guitars, side drums and tabors for one!).
This is a bright and lively recording. The purpose is to dance, and in the Renaissance and surrounding times, people danced with vigour, life and spirit! This is uplifting and fun music, the kind that makes one want to get up and move. This recording is simply brilliant from start to finish.