The following was one of the topics discussed at the Adults’ evening on November 13th, it was particularly relevant as a number of the pieces played were dances taken from Baroque Suites. I thought it would be interesting to know a little more about the historical context of this musical form so popular in the Baroque period.
The Character of the Baroque Suite
The Baroque Suite was a principal part of music making during the Baroque period of music history. This period roughly spans the 100 years between 1650-1750.
The Baroque Suite is a set of dances that are written for individual instruments – such as a harpsichord or cello, or for a larger group of instruments.
One of the developments of the Baroque era was the greater emphasis placed on individual instruments. The music was written specifically to suit the instrument, to bring out its unique sound. This was very different from the previous era, where instrumental music had often imitated the human voice and followed singing forms instead.
Another development with the Baroque Era was that instruments were combined in much larger groups – up to twenty players. In the previous era the number of players combining together had been much smaller.
The Form of the Baroque Suite
Baroque Suites are made from four dances that were always included, plus a number of optional dances that could be added to increase the length of the suite.
The four dances always included were the Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and the Gigue. They were usually played in this order:
Allemande – this is a stately dance originating in Germany in four time. The mood of the dance is spoiled if played too fast.
Courante – This is a fast dance, often described as a running dance with lots short notes such as semiquavers. It is written in three time.
Sarabande – This is a slow and dignified dance, often very intense and emotional. It is again written in three time.
Gigue – originating in Celtic music, the gigue is written in compound time which gives it an energetic, skipping quality.
The order of the dances is very important, the speed and character of the pieces contrast nicely. The Allemande is slowish, the Courante fast, the Sarabande is slow and the Gigue is very energetic. The dances are in binary form which means there are two parts, often with repeats of the two sections. A suite is often up to twenty minutes in duration.
The optional dances were often inserted into the order:
Bouree – this is a brisk dance in four time; often, two contrasting Bourees were used, increasing the sense of binary form.
Gavotte – this is a medium speed dance in four time which always starts on the third beat of the bar.
Minuet – a very graceful dance in three time which is in a moderate speed.
Historical Context of the Baroque Suite
The Baroque Suite was written for individual instruments such as Bach’s Cello Suites or French Suites for Keyboard. They could also be written for a large group of instruments.
Baroque Suites were generally written for an aristocratic employer or patron, and they were often heard initially in the house of an aristocrat. They were played as background music during a formal dinner – or as a listening event.
The Baroque Suite Today
The most famous of the Baroque Suites are played frequently today in concert halls, and many recordings of them have been made – thankfully! Among the most famous are certainly the Bach Cello Suites, which are one of the main components in the repertoire of concert cellists today. The dances that make up the suites are always to be found on an exam syllabus due to their beauty and technical tests.
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