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The Baroque Suite – Basic Information
During the Baroque period, the suite was one of the most common forms used in the composition of instrumental music, especially keyboard works, and was popular throughou t hroughoutt Europe. A suite in this meaning of the word applies to a collection of small-scale pieces, based on dance forms, grouped together into a set. It was the rench who de!eloped a structure to the Baroque "uite which became the dominant model. #ypically, this was based around a core of four dances, the allemande, allemande , courante, courante, sarabande and sarabande and gigue, gigue, to which others were often added. In $ermany the suite was known as a Partita. Partita. Aside from the dances mentioned, other popular ones included the gavotte, gavotte, bourrée, bourrée, passacaglia, passacaglia, chaconne, chaconne, minuet and passepied . Dances were typically simple in their structure, with a binary % A-B & structure being the most common. A modulation is commonly found at the end of the first section %the 'A( section&, often to the dominant, with a return to the original key during the 'B( section. Important composers of the Baroque "uite were )" Bach, *andel, roberger and ran+ois ouperin %whose keyboard suites were called Ordres& Ordres&
Related Links: httpwww.musicteachers.co.ukres httpwww.musicteachers.co.ukresourceschamber.pdf ourceschamber.pdf httpwww.musicteachers.co.ukresourcesbw!/0/.pdf httpwww.tafelmusik.orgpdfs$oforBaroque.pdf httpwww.hyperion-records.co.uknotes00123.html httpwww.cello.org4ewsletterArticlesmansbridgemansbridge.htm
Recommended listening: )" Bach 5 English and rench 6eyboard "uites )" Bach 5 ello "uites roberger 5 6eyboard "uites $.. *andel 5 7ater 8usic "uite
musicteachers.co.uk / teaching resources / intermediate level
Allemande: A moderately fast dance, usually in 22 or 00 time. Beginning with an upbeat, it is often characterised by flowing qua!ers or semiqua!ers. ind a short sample of one by #homas hilcot at www.musicteachers.co.ukresourcesallemande.mp9 Bourrée: A li!ely dance in 22 or 00, starting on the last crotchet of the bar. 7hen employed in a suite there were sometimes 0 bourrées played consecuti!ely. ind a short sample of one by )" Bach %from his 3th rench "uite& at www.musicteachers.co.ukresourcesbourree.mp9 Courante: :iterally meaning 'running(, the courante is a rench dance, usually in ;2 and commonly with bars of 90 added, especially towards cadences %gi!ing a hemiola-type effect&. "ometimes this was replaced in a suite by the Italian !ersion, known as the corrente. #his was a faster dance in simple triple time %92& which tended towards more homophonic te
Gigue: A dance of English and eltic origins with a li!ely feel. It is usually in ;/, although e
or suite *7? 22=& at www.musicteachers.co.ukresourcesgigue.mp9
Minuet: A dance of rench origin in 92 time, of steady speed and dainty character. Although used frequently in the Baroque suite, it later became a standard part of the classical symphony, as the 9 rd mo!ement, where it was played with a following Trio %before the reprise of the Minuet &. ind a short sample of one by )" Bach %from the Clavierbuchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach& at www.musicteachers.co.ukresourcesminuet.mp9
Passacaglia: A slow and stately dance with no great discernable differences to the Chaconne. It is usually in triple time and consists of regular phrases. #hese often take the form of theme and variations o!er a ground bass %i.e. a repeated bass line and chord sequence&. Passepied: A quick dance in 9/ or ;/ of rench origin. ara!ande: Although originally a li!elier dance of :atin American origin, the type of Sarabande commonly adopted in Europe was a slow, stately form in triple time. #he dance is characterised by a slight emphasis on the second beat of the bar. ind a short sample of one by *andel %from his suite in D minor *7? 29@& at www.musicteachers.co.ukresourcessarabande.mp9
musicteachers.co.uk / teaching resources / intermediate level
The Baroque Suite - Question Sheet =. #he $erman name for the Baroque suite was the 0. 4ame two of the four typical core dances in a Baroque suite
9. #he form of a baroque dance mo!ement is often an A 5 B structure. #his is known as
form.
2. 7hat is the rhythmic characteristic of a Gavotte
3. #he "arabandes found in Baroque suites are of a slo"# statel$ %ast# livel$ nature %delete as appropriate& ;. #he 8inuet later became incorporated into another important musical form. 7hat is it @. A Passacaglia is written o!er a ground !ass. 7hat does this mean
/. #he gigue originates from which part of the world
musicteachers.co.uk / teaching resources / intermediate level
Composition &ask hoose a dance style from the list on the other sheet and write a short composition in binary form %appro