Loure
Encyclopedia
The 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 (a type of musette
).
The loure is a dance of slow or moderate tempo and in ternary meter (6/8, 3/4, or 6/4). The weight is on beat 1, which is further strengthened by the preceding anacrusis
that begins the traditional loure.
In his Musicalisches Lexicon (Leipzig, 1732), Johann Gottfried Walther
wrote that the loure "is slow and ceremonious; the first note of each half-measure is dotted which should be well observed".
Examples of loures are found in the works of Lully
(e.g., Alceste
) and of Bach
(e.g.: French Suite No. 5 and the Partita No. 3 for violin solo
).
Gigue
The 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...
lente or slow gigue, is a French Baroque dance
Baroque dance
Baroque dance is dance of the Baroque era , closely linked with Baroque music, theatre and opera.- English country dance :...
, probably originating in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and named after the sound of the instrument of the same name (a type of musette
Musette de cour
The musette de cour or baroque musette is a musical instrument of the bagpipe family. Visually, the musette is characterised by the short, cylindrical shuttle-drone and the two chalumeaux. Both the chanters and the drones have a cylindrical bore and use a double reed, giving a quiet tone similar to...
).
The loure is a dance of slow or moderate tempo and in ternary meter (6/8, 3/4, or 6/4). The weight is on beat 1, which is further strengthened by the preceding anacrusis
Anacrusis
In poetry, an anacrusis is the lead-in syllables, collectively, that precede the first full measure.In music, it is the note or sequence of notes which precedes the first downbeat in a bar. In the latter sense an anacrusis is often called a pickup, pickup note, or pickup measure, referring to the...
that begins the traditional loure.
In his Musicalisches Lexicon (Leipzig, 1732), Johann Gottfried Walther
Johann Gottfried Walther
Johann Gottfried Walther was a German music theorist, organist, composer, and lexicographer of the Baroque era.Walther was born at Erfurt...
wrote that the loure "is slow and ceremonious; the first note of each half-measure is dotted which should be well observed".
Examples of loures are found in the works of Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
(e.g., Alceste
Alceste (Lully)
Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide is a tragédie en musique in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The French-language libretto is by Philippe Quinault, after Euripides’ Alcestis...
) and of 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...
(e.g.: French Suite No. 5 and the Partita No. 3 for violin solo
Partita for Violin No. 3 (Bach)
The Partita No. 3 in E major BWV 1006 by Johann Sebastian Bach for solo violin consists of the following movements:# Preludio# Loure# Gavotte en Rondeau# Menuets # Bourrée# GigaIt takes approximately 20 minutes to perform....
).