A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Contredanse
CONTREDANSE (Engl. country-dance, Ger. contretanz). A dance of English origin, which was introduced into France in the Regency, 1715–23, and has since become very popular. The music to the contredanse is of a lively character; it is written either in 2-4 or in 6-8 time, and consists uniformly of eight-bar phrases, each of which is usually repeated. The name probably arose from the fact that the dancers were ranged over against (contre) one another. The English term 'country-dance' is probably a mere adaptation.
Beethoven has written twelve contredanses for orchestra, from one of which he developed the finale of his 'Eroica' symphony. Mozart has also left a large number of specimens of this class of composition. A series of five or six contredanses forms a Quadrille.[ E. P. ]