French Suites (BWV 812–817)
Encyclopedia
The French Suites, BWV
812-817, are six suite
s which Johann Sebastian Bach
wrote for the clavier
(harpsichord
or clavichord
) between the years of 1722 and 1725. The suites were later given the name 'French' (first recorded usage by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg
in 1762) as a means of contrast with the English Suites (whose title is likewise a later appellation). The name was popularised by Bach's biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel
, who wrote in his 1802 biography of Bach, "One usually calls them French Suites because they are written in the French manner." This claim, however, is inaccurate: like Bach's other suites, they follow a largely Italian convention.
There is no surviving definitive manuscript of these suites, and ornamentation varies both in type and in degree across manuscripts.
Two additional suites, one in A minor (BWV 818), the other in E-flat Major (BWV 819), are linked to the familiar six in some manuscripts. The Overture in the French style, BWV 831, which Bach published as the second part of Clavier-Übung
, is a suite in the French style but not connected to the French suites.
Although Suites 1-4 are typically dated to 1722, it is possible that this suite was written somewhat earlier
The first few bars of this suite were written in 1722, but it was not completed until 1723.
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
812-817, are six suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s which Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
wrote for the clavier
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
or clavichord
Clavichord
The clavichord is a European stringed keyboard instrument known from the late Medieval, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras. Historically, it was widely used as a practice instrument and as an aid to composition, not being loud enough for larger performances. The clavichord produces...
) between the years of 1722 and 1725. The suites were later given the name 'French' (first recorded usage by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg
Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg
Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg was a German music critic, music-theorist and composer. He was friendly and active with many figures of the Enlightenment of the 18th century.-Life:...
in 1762) as a means of contrast with the English Suites (whose title is likewise a later appellation). The name was popularised by Bach's biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel
Johann Nikolaus Forkel
Johann Nikolaus Forkel , was a German musician, musicologist and music theorist.-Biography:...
, who wrote in his 1802 biography of Bach, "One usually calls them French Suites because they are written in the French manner." This claim, however, is inaccurate: like Bach's other suites, they follow a largely Italian convention.
There is no surviving definitive manuscript of these suites, and ornamentation varies both in type and in degree across manuscripts.
Two additional suites, one in A minor (BWV 818), the other in E-flat Major (BWV 819), are linked to the familiar six in some manuscripts. The Overture in the French style, BWV 831, which Bach published as the second part of Clavier-Übung
Clavier-Übung
Clavier-Übung is German for "keyboard practice". In late 17th and early 18th centuries this was a common title for keyboard music collections, initially popular after its adoption by Johann Kuhnau in 1689, although today it is usually associated with Johann Sebastian Bach's series of publications...
, is a suite in the French style but not connected to the French suites.
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812
- AllemandeAllemandeAn allemande is one of the most popular instrumental dance forms in Baroque music, and a standard element of a suite...
- CouranteCouranteThe courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era....
- SarabandeSarabandeIn music, the sarabande is a dance in triple metre. The second and third beats of each measure are often tied, giving the dance a distinctive rhythm of quarter notes and eighth notes in alternation...
- MenuetMinuetA minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
I/II - GigueGigueThe gigue or giga is a lively baroque dance originating from the British jig. It was imported into France in the mid-17th century and usually appears at the end of a suite...
Although Suites 1-4 are typically dated to 1722, it is possible that this suite was written somewhat earlier
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813
- Allemande
- Courante
- Sarabande
- AirAir (music)Air , a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions.-English lute ayres:...
- Menuet
- Menuet - Trio (in BWV 813a)
- Gigue
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814
- Allemande
- Courante
- Sarabande
- AnglaiseAngloiseAngloise is the name of a piece of classical music from "Notebook for Wolfgang" written for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by his father Leopold Mozart. The composition was written for piano in D minor....
-- Bach originally titled this movement Gavotte (a dance type very similar to the Angloise). He may have changed the name because this movement lacks the gavotte's characteristic two quarter-note upbeat. - Menuet - This was used as "Theme C" in the popular game TetrisTetrisTetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
- Trio.
- Gigue
Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 815
- Allemande
- Courante
- Sarabande
- Gavotte
- Menuet
- Air
- Gigue
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816
- Allemande
- Courante
- Sarabande
- Gavotte
- BourréeBourréeThe bourrée is a dance of French origin common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time, somewhat resembling the gavotte. The main difference between the two is the anacrusis, or upbeat; a bourrée starts on the last beat of a bar, creating a...
- LoureLoureThe loure, also known as the gigue lente or slow gigue, is a French Baroque dance, probably originating in Normandy and named after the sound of the instrument of the same name ....
- Gigue
The first few bars of this suite were written in 1722, but it was not completed until 1723.
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817
- Allemande
- Courante
- Sarabande
- Gavotte
- PolonaisePolonaiseThe polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
- Bourrée
- Menuet
- Gigue
See also
- Works for keyboard by J.S. BachWorks for keyboard by J.S. BachThe keyboard works of the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, originally written for organ, clavichord, and harpsichord, are among the most important and well-known of his compositions...
- Partitas, BWV 825-830
- English Suites, BWV 806-811
- Bach compositions printed during the composer's lifetime
External links
- French suites in Mutopia Project (free sheet music)
- liner notes for recording by Masaaki SuzukiMasaaki Suzukiis a Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and the founder and musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan.He was born in Kobe to parents who were both Christians and amateur musicians...