John Playford

John Playford (* 1623 in Norwich, † 1686 in London ) was an English music publisher.

1651 Playford published a first collection of then common in bourgeois circles Social Dances with notes and descriptions of the dances. This first book entitled The English Dancing Master was so successful that a total of 18 editions published until 1728 - with about nine hundred dances along with the associated dance descriptions. The melodies underlying were some very old song melodies, which were commonly used in the machining Playford's still up in the 19th century.

Some of these dances were published in 1950 by Georg Götsch together with Rolf Gardiner in the book Old English contra dances. Georg Götsch initiated the society in arts and coined in the founding period from 1952, the substantive orientation at Castle Fuersteneck with. Both institutions maintain the Playford dances up to the present time.

Music examples

Discography (selection)

• English Country Dances. From Playford 's Dancing Master 1651-1703. The Broadside band. Saydisc, 1991.
• Country Capers. Music from Playford 's The English Dancing Master. The New York Renaissance band. Arabesque, 1999.
• Nobodys Jig. Les Witches Odile Edouard (violin). Alpha 2002 /2008.
• English Country Dances. The Harp Consort, Andrew Lawrence-King (lead). HMF, 2002.
• Mr. Playford 's English Dancing Master. Lautten Compagney, Wolfgang Katschner ( line ). Berlin, 2005.
• Oranges & Lemons. The Playfords. Coviello, 2006.