The English Suites, BWV 806–811, are a set of six suites written by the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach for harpsichord (or clavichord) and generally thought to be the earliest of his 19 suites for keyboard (discounting several less well-known earlier suites), the others being the six French Suites (BWV 812–817), the six Partitas (BWV 825-830) and the Overture in the French style (BWV 831). They probably date from around 1713 or 1714.[1]
These six suites for keyboard are thought to be the earliest set that Bach composed aside from several miscellaneous suites written when he was much younger. Bach's English Suites display less affinity with Baroque English keyboard style than do the French Suites to French Baroque keyboard style. It has also been suggested that the name is a tribute to Charles Dieupart, whose fame was greatest in England, and on whose Six Suittes de clavessin Bach's English Suites were in part based.[2]
Surface characteristics of the English Suites strongly resemble those of Bach's French Suites and Partitas, particularly in the sequential dance-movement structural organization and treatment of ornamentation. These suites also resemble the Baroque French keyboard suite typified by the generation of composers including Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, and the dance-suite tradition of French lutenists that preceded it.
In the English Suites especially, Bach's affinity with French lute music is demonstrated by his inclusion of a prelude for each suite, departing from an earlier tradition of German derivations of French suite (those of Johann Jakob Froberger and Georg Boehm are examples), which saw a relatively strict progression of the dance movements (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue) and which did not typically feature a Prelude. Unlike the unmeasured preludes of French lute or keyboard style, however, Bach's preludes in the English Suites are composed in strict meter.
This first suite is unusual in that it has two courantes and two doubles for the second courante. This suite also departs from the scheme of the other five, in that the prelude is short and based on a theme from a suite by Dieupart. The preludes of the other five suites in this series are based on the allegro of a concerto grosso form.
The key sequence follows the same series of notes as the chorale "Jesu, meine Freude"; it is unestablished whether or not this is accidental.
English Suite No. 1, English Suite No. 2, English Suite No. 3 and English Suite No. 4: performances by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
February 20, 2023
english, suites, bach, english, suites, suites, written, german, composer, johann, sebastian, bach, harpsichord, clavichord, generally, thought, earliest, suites, keyboard, discounting, several, less, well, known, earlier, suites, others, being, french, suites. The English Suites BWV 806 811 are a set of six suites written by the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach for harpsichord or clavichord and generally thought to be the earliest of his 19 suites for keyboard discounting several less well known earlier suites the others being the six French Suites BWV 812 817 the six Partitas BWV 825 830 and the Overture in the French style BWV 831 They probably date from around 1713 or 1714 1 Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach Contents 1 History 2 The suites 3 Notable recordings 3 1 On harpsichord 3 2 On piano 3 3 On cello 4 Media 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditThese six suites for keyboard are thought to be the earliest set that Bach composed aside from several miscellaneous suites written when he was much younger Bach s English Suites display less affinity with Baroque English keyboard style than do the French Suites to French Baroque keyboard style It has also been suggested that the name is a tribute to Charles Dieupart whose fame was greatest in England and on whose Six Suittes de clavessin Bach s English Suites were in part based 2 Surface characteristics of the English Suites strongly resemble those of Bach s French Suites and Partitas particularly in the sequential dance movement structural organization and treatment of ornamentation These suites also resemble the Baroque French keyboard suite typified by the generation of composers including Jean Henri d Anglebert and the dance suite tradition of French lutenists that preceded it In the English Suites especially Bach s affinity with French lute music is demonstrated by his inclusion of a prelude for each suite departing from an earlier tradition of German derivations of French suite those of Johann Jakob Froberger and Georg Boehm are examples which saw a relatively strict progression of the dance movements Allemande Courante Sarabande and Gigue and which did not typically feature a Prelude Unlike the unmeasured preludes of French lute or keyboard style however Bach s preludes in the English Suites are composed in strict meter The suites EditThe six suites are Suite No 1 in A major BWV 806 PreludeAllemandeCourante ICourante IIDouble IDouble IISarabandeBourree IBourree IIGigue Suite No 2 in A minor BWV 807 PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandeBourree IBourree IIGigue Suite No 3 in G minor BWV 808PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandeGavotte IGavotte IIGigue Suite No 4 in F major BWV 809PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandeMenuet IMenuet IIGigue Suite No 5 in E minor BWV 810PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandePassepied IPassepied IIGigue Suite No 6 in D minor BWV 811PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandeDoubleGavotte IGavotte IIGigue This first suite is unusual in that it has two courantes and two doubles for the second courante This suite also departs from the scheme of the other five in that the prelude is short and based on a theme from a suite by Dieupart The preludes of the other five suites in this series are based on the allegro of a concerto grosso form The key sequence follows the same series of notes as the chorale Jesu meine Freude it is unestablished whether or not this is accidental Notable recordings EditOn harpsichord Edit Wanda Landowska No 2 3 amp 5 Pearl 1928 35 Ralph Kirkpatrick Archiv Produktion 1956 Helmut Walcha EMI Electrola 1959 Martin Galling Murray Hill 1970 recorded in 1964 Kenneth Gilbert Harmonia Mundi 1981 Zuzana Ruzickova Supraphon Eterna 1981 Christiane Jaccottet Saphir Disky 1982 Gustav Leonhardt Virgin 1984 Huguette Dreyfus Archiv Produktion 1974 1990 Colin Tilney Music amp Arts 1993 Trevor Pinnock Archiv Production 1992 Peter Watchorn Musica Omnia 1997 Pascal Dubreuil Ramee 2013 Ketil Haugsand Simax Classics 2014 On piano Edit Walter Gieseking Nos 2 4 amp 6 Music amp Arts 1950 Alexander Borovsky Vox 1952 Tatiana Nikolayeva Nos 1 amp 4 Scribendum 1965 Friedrich Gulda Nos 2 amp 3 Andante 1969 70 Wilhelm Kempff No 3 Deutsche Grammophon 1975 Glenn Gould Columbia Sony 1977 Mieczyslaw Horszowski No 3 Pearl 1979 No 2 Arbiter 1984 No 5 RCA Japan 1987 Ivo Pogorelic Nos 2 amp 3 Deutsche Grammophon 1985 Andras Schiff Decca 1988 2003 Live in Hungary Wolfgang Rubsam Naxos 1995 Joao Carlos Martins Concord Concerto Labor Records Tomato Music 1995 1996 Rosalyn Tureck No 3 Video Artists International 1993 Murray Perahia Sony Classics 1997 Robert Levin Hanssler 1999 Martha Argerich No 2 Deutsche Grammophon 1979 Ivo Janssen Void 2000 Angela Hewitt Hyperion 2003 Sviatoslav Richter Delos 2004 Vladimir Feltsman Nimbus 2005 Ramin Bahrami Decca 2012 Piotr Anderszewski No 6 Accord 1996 Piotr Anderszewski No 6 Erato Warner Classics 2004 Piotr Anderszewski Nos 1 3 amp 5 Warner Classics 2014 On cello Edit Pablo Casals No 5 Columbia Masterworks 1950 Media Edit English Suite No 1 in A major performed by Martha Goldstein I Prelude source source II Allemande source source III Courante I source source IV Courante II source source V Double I source source VI Double II source source VII Sarabande source source VIII Bourree I and II source source IX Gigue source source Problems playing these files See media help English Suite No 3 in G minor performed by Martha Goldstein I Prelude source source II Allemande source source III Courante source source IV Sarabande source source V VI Gavotte I and II source source VII Gigue source source Problems playing these files See media help See also EditWorks for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach French Suites BWV 812 817 Partitas BWV 825 830 List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach printed during his lifetimeReferences Edit Nicholas Kenyon Bach The Music Bach 333 CD set 2018 Grove s Dictionary of Music and Musicians 5th ed 1954 Eric Blom ed External links EditEnglish Suites Scores at the International Music Score Library Project English Suite No 1 English Suite No 2 English Suite No 3 and English Suite No 4 performances by the Netherlands Bach Society video and background information Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title English Suites Bach amp oldid 1125067698, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
