The estampie is similar in form to the lai, consisting of a succession of repeated sections. According to Johannes de Grocheio, there were both vocal and instrumental estampies, which differed somewhat in form, in that the vocal estampie begins with a refrain, which is repeated at the end of each verse. Also according to Grocheio, the repeating sections in both the vocal and instrumental estampie were called puncta , in the form: The two statements of each punctus differ only in their endings, described as apertum and clausum by Grocheio, who believed that six puncta were standard for the stantipes, though he was aware of stantipes with seven puncta. The structure can therefore be diagrammed as: Sometimes the same two endings are used for all the puncta, producing the structure A similar structure was shared with the saltarello, another medieval dance. The earliest reported example of this musical form is the song "Kalenda maya", written by the troubadourRaimbaut de Vaqueiras to the melody of an estampida played by French jongleurs. "Two poetry treatises describe the estampie as a poetic and musical form, and a music treatise provides details about it as both a vocal form and an instrumental dance". Fourteenth-century examples include estampies with subtitles such as "Isabella" and "Tre fontane". Non-estampie dances found in Br. Lib. Add 29987 include dance pairs such as "Lamento di Tristano" and "La Manfredina", and Dança amorosa . Though the estampie is generally monophonic, there are also two-voice compositions in the form of an estampie, such as the three for keyboard in the Robertsbridge Fragment. According to Grocheio, the fiddle was the supreme instrument of the period, and the stantipes, together with the cantus coronatus and ductia, were the principal forms played on fiddles before the wealthy in their celebration. The estampie is the first known genre of medieval eradance music which continues to exist today. The estampie can be monophonic or polyphonic. The melody is monophonic and is heard as the most prominent melody. However, the melody becomes polyphonic when accompanied by instrumentalists around the one written melody. The estampie was performed in a lively triple meter, a primary division of three beats to the bar. During polyphonic arrangements, the lines do not cross one another. The top line is in the soprano/alto range, using an instrument such as a recorder. The bottom line is in the tenor range using an instrument such as the crumhorn. According to Parisian musical theorist Johannes de Grocheio, when estampies were played as entertainment for the wealthy during their feasts, only the greatest vielle players performed. Grocheio explains the difference between a vocal and instrumental estampie is in the refrain. Refrains within the instrumental estampie are the notes that are automatically repeated with each puntum. In a vocal estampie, the words carry the refrain and do not repeat, therefore, the last punctum is sung twice. Grocheio has described the differing lengths of puncta as irregular and complicated. He further states that this difficulty captivates the attention of both the players and listeners and diverts the minds of the rich from wicked thoughts. These differences in puncta, i.e. different phrase lengths, lack percussive measure relating to the rhythmic sounds common to all the instruments. The length of percussive measure is equal in a ductia, however is unequal in length in the estampie.
Dance
Etymology
According to the OED, the name comes from the Provençal estampida, feminine of estampit, the past participle of estampir "to resound".
