Annotation:Belle Jeannette (La)
X:1 T:Belle Jeannette, La M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Country Dance B:Samuel, Ann & Peter Thompson -- Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 5 (1788, p. 5) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G>A |BB cc| A2 d/e/d/c/|c/B/A/G/ G/F/G/A/|BAG>A| BBcc|A2 d/e/d/c/|c/B/A/G/ B/A/G/F/|G2:| |:G/A/B/c/|.d.B.c.d|BG G/A/B/c/|.d.B.c.d|[G,2B,2B2g2] G/A/B/c/| dBcd|BG G/A/B/c/|dBcd|[G,2B,2B2g2]:|
BELLE JEANNETTE, LA. English, Country Dance (2/4). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABA. The original appears to have been printed in The Entire New and Compleat Tutor for the Violin by Geminiani, referring to wikipedia:Francesco_Geminiani (1687-1762), an Italian virtuoso violinist who lived in London at several times during his career and who also taught in Dublin. Geminiani was a contemporary of Corelli and Handel, and, in his hey-day was considered almost an equal, although he is little remembered today. His violin tutor was published before his death, and republished several times throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries. Geminiani's "La Belle Jeannette" was perhaps inspired by "Belle Catharine (1) (La)," a similar dance tune.
"La Bele Geannette" appears in a few musicians manuscripts of the early 19th century, including those of the Hardy Family (Dorset), R. Hughes (Whitechurch, Shropshire, 1823), J. Jones (north Shropshire, 1801), John Clare "La Bel Jean" JC28 (Helpston, Northamptonshire); William Winter (Somerset, 1850) and John Roose (Manchester, England, c. 1850). Although originally a French country dance, the tune can be employed as a polka.
