J. S. Bach's English and French Suites with an Emphasis on the Courante

J. S. Bach’s English and French Suites with an emphasis on the Courante Renate McLaughlin

Introduction Religious confl icts brought about the Figure 1. The Courante from French Suite #1, BWV 812 Thirty Years War (1618–1648), which devastated Germany. Reconstruction took at least one hundred years,1 en- compassing the entire lifetime of Bach. The Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which ended the war, gave each sovereign of the over 300 principalities, which make up modern Germany, the right to deter- mine the religion of the area under his (yes, they were all male) control. This resulted in a cultural competition among the numerous sovereigns, and it also led to the importing of French culture and its imitation (recall that Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” reigned from 1643 to 1715). social standing during his entire career!). French Suites and English Suites the importance of these suites in stu- Bach encountered French language, An elite group of professional musicians In the Baroque era, a suite consisted dents’ progress from the Inventions to music, dance, and theater throughout his stood at his disposal,6 and his duties fo- of a collection of dance tunes linked by the Well-Tempered Clavier. formative years. In the cities where Bach cused on secular chamber music. Since the same key and often with some com- (5) Writing in 2000, Christoph Wolff lived, he would have heard frequent per- the court belonged to the reformed mon thematic material. Concerning the stated as a fact that the “so-called” Eng- formances of minuets, gavottes, couran- church, Bach’s employer expected nei- origin of the suite, Bach scholar Albert lish Suites originated in Bach’s later Wei- tes, sarabandes, etc.2 ther liturgical music nor organ music. It Schweitzer believed that the dance suite mar years,22 and that Bach himself used Christoph Wolff has provided addi- is clear from the prefaces that Bach wrote was created by wandering musicians in the perhaps more accurate name “suites tional evidence for Bach’s acquaintance his keyboard works for didactic purpos- the early 17th century who strung to- avec préludes.” Wolff also asserts that with French music and French customs. es—for members of his family and for gether music from different countries. the French Suites were written during In connection with the famous com- his students. Additional evidence for this Town pipers adopted this music and Bach’s years in Cöthen.23 petition between J. S. Bach and Louis is that the Clavierbüchlein for Friede- played sets with at least four move- So by the 1970s, we appear to have Marchand, scheduled to take place in mann (1720) and the Clavierbüchlein for ments: the allemande (German origin), fi gured out the background of Bach’s Dresden in 1717, Wolff wrote that Bach Anna Magdalena (1722) include material courante (French origin), sarabande English and French suites, in spite of would most likely have won the contest.3 from the suites, but in rudimentary form (Spanish origin), and gigue (English Fuller’s comment that discussion about Bach knew thoroughly the stylistic idi- and not in a systematic order.7 origin). Keyboard players adopted these why twelve of Bach’s suites are called oms of the French keyboard repertoire; Howard Schott also noted that the dance suites from the pipers and devel- English and French suites will continue and his own keyboard suites integrated French Suites (BWV 812–817) and the oped the suites further.14 for as long as these suites themselves are genuine French elements from the English Suites (BWV 806–811) belonged Bach brought the suite to its peak by discussed.24 very beginning. He consistently applied to the domestic musical repertoire of the giving each movement a musical identity In total, Bach composed about 45 French terminology, but he also blended Bach family.8 He continued with the as- and personality.15 Each of the six Eng- suites.25 Neither the six French Suites in Italian concerto elements (example: sertion that the English suites are more lish suites and six French suites includes nor the six English Suites were published the prelude to BWV 808). Further, he in- Gallic in style and feeling than their the expected allemande, courante, sara- during Bach’s lifetime, but they were corporated polyphonic writing and fugal French brethren. To mix things up a bit bande, and gigue. (Details on the cou- copied by hand by students and music textures, especially for the concluding more, the preludes in the English suites rante are discussed later in this article.) lovers. Generally, only compositions gigues. As we know, this highly antici- are in Italian concerto-grosso style.9 Each English suite begins with a pre- likely to increase Bach’s stature as a vir- pated contest with Marchand never took On December 3, 1721, shortly after lude, which is followed by an allemande. tuoso were published,26 due to the high place, since Marchand unexpectedly and her wedding as Bach’s second wife, Anna Each French suite begins with an alle- cost of publication. Handwritten copies secretly left Dresden. Magdalena Bach started a notebook of mande. Each suite, English and French, of both the French Suites and the Eng- keyboard compositions.10 She recorded ends with a gigue. Some movements in lish Suites go back to Bach’s early years J. S. Bach’s life—a short version4 the title page and a few headings, but some of the English suites have doubles in Leipzig.27 The towns where Johann Sebastian Bach himself wrote the musical entries. written out—these are the ornamented Manfred Bukofzer devoted an entire Bach lived and his key roles there can be They included fi ve short but sophisticated versions that a Baroque performer would chapter in his book, Music in the Baroque summarized as follows. The context pro- harpsichord suites, which would later be- have played on the repeats. Era, to develop the thesis that Bach fused vided by this list is important, because come the French Suites, BWV 812–816. It is interesting to observe how our national styles.28 He noted that the titles Bach wrote the English and French The undisputed surviving harpsichord knowledge about Bach’s suites has in- “English” suites and “French” suites are suites fairly early in his career. and clavichord works written during the creased in recent years by comparing misleading (as well as not authentic):29 Eisenach: born March 21, 1685 Cöthen years are:11 what has been written about them at dif- the suites were no longer tied to dance Ohrdruf: 1695–1700, stayed with old- Clavier Book for Wilhelm Friedemann ferent times. The following comments, music, and only a skeleton of rhythmic er brother Clavier Book for Anna Magdalena listed in chronological order, start with patterns had survived. They had become Lüneburg: 1700–1702, Choral Scholar The Well-Tempered Clavier wild guesses and uncertainty and end abstract art music. (By the way, Bukofzer Arnstadt: 1703–1707, Organist (New 15 Inventions with reasonable certainty about what we claimed that both sets of suites belong to Church) 15 Sinfonias. must currently regard as the truth. the Cöthen period, and that on stylistic Mühlhausen: 1707–1708, Organist and Further evidence that Bach wrote the (1) Writing in 1950, Alfred Kreutz, grounds, the English Suites were com- Town Musician (St. Blasius) keyboard pieces listed above, as well as the editor of the English Suites for C. F. posed fi rst.30) Weimar: 1708–1717, Ducal Court the French and English suites, as peda- Peters Corporation, followed Forkel in Bukofzer stated that “in the French Organist and chamber musician, then gogical pieces for his family and his stu- asserting that the English Suites were suites Italian, French, and German styles Concertmaster dents (and not to gain favor with particu- written for a noble Englishman. But he no longer stand side by side but wholly Cöthen: 1717–1723, Capellmeister lar members of the royalty) was provided also conceded that if the English Suites merge with Bach’s personal style.”31 He for Prince Leopold by one of Bach’s students, H. N. Gerber. had been commissioned, we should be also observed that the melodic character Leipzig: 1723–1750, Cantor and Di- Gerber studied with Bach in Leipzig and able to fi nd some trace of this. He then of the dances in the French Suites leans rector Musices (the dual title refl ects the left an account of Bach as a keyboard mused that the English Suites might toward the Italian style. split in the town council of Leipzig) teacher. According to Gerber, keyboard vaguely follow some musical work pub- Leipzig: died July 28, 1750 students started with the Inventions lished in England, and he listed works A surprise about the courante and the French and English suites, and by Purcell, Händel, and Dieupart as Anthony Newman’s book on Bach The keyboard music (other than or- they concluded with the 48 preludes and candidates.16 and the Baroque includes a chapter en- gan music) by J. S. Bach fugues in the Well-Tempered Clavier.12 (2) Writing in 1954, Bach scholar Al- titled Dance Music, which incorporates Bach wrote most of his music for key- Current scholarship indicates that the bert Schweitzer stated that both the a section on the courante.32 He explains board (clavichord and harpsichord) dur- English Suites were composed in Bach’s English and the French suites were com- that there are two types of courante in ing his years in Cöthen (1717–1723).5 He Weimar years (1708–1717), and the posed during Bach’s years in Cöthen.17 Baroque instrumental music: the cor- served the court as Capellmeister and French Suites were composed later, dur- (3) In 1957, Rudolf Steglich, in his rente of Italian origin and the courante director of chamber music (the highest ing his years in Cöthen.13 preface to the Henle edition of the Eng- of French origin. The corrente is a quick lish Suites, wrote that Bach referred to dance in triple meter, usually 3/8; the these suites as “suites avec préludes.”18 courante is a slower dance, described The notation, “faites pour les Anglois,” as solemn and majestic, often in 3/2 fi rst appeared in a copy of these suites meter. As a ballroom dance, the minuet ERTIFIED PPRAISALS belonging to Johann Christian Bach, the replaced the courante by 1660.33 But C A “London Bach.”19 In the same preface, because of its “rhythmic grace and com- Steglich stated that the English Suites plexity,” the courante remained popular Collections of organ books, recordings, and music are more in the style of the young Bach in instrumental music throughout the than the “more elegant” French Suites.20 Baroque period. Newman considered for gift, tax, and estate purposes No autographs have survived. the courante as the most subtle and com- (4) In 1972, the same Rudolf Steg- plex member of the dance suite. He also Stephen L. Pinel, Appraiser lich claimed in his preface to the Henle pointed out that both the courante and edition of the French Suites that these the corrente are often labeled as cou- suites were written in Cöthen,21 and that rante. [See Figures 1 and 2.] [email protected] / (609) 448-8427 the name “French Suites” was attached Philipp Spitta also commented on later. Many copies of the suites (but no the two styles of courante. He counted autograph) have survived, attesting to Bach’s French Suites and English Suites

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May 2011 pp. 24-25.indd 24 4/14/11 10:07:14 AM Figure 2. The Courante from French Suite #5, BWV 816. This courante has the characteristics of a corrente. sic with special emphasis on the music of J. S. Bach (New York: Pendragon Press, 1985), 142. 33. Ibid. 34. Philipp Spitta, Johann Sebastian Bach: His work and infl uence on the music of Ger- many, 1685–1750 (translated from the Ger- man by Clara Bell and J. S. Fuller-Maitland) (New York: Dover Publications, 1951), Vol. II, 84. 35. Ibid., 85. 36. Nicolas Slonimsky, Webster’s New World Dictionary of Music, ed. Richard Kassel (Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 1998), 106. among Bach’s most important works.34 piece is a good indication of how the mu- 6, Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach, 188. 37. Ibid., 103. According to Spitta, the Italian form of sic should be played, this is not the case 7. Ibid., 218. 38. The Harvard Dictionary of Music the courante (i.e., the corrente) would with the courante, since the Italian form 8. Howard Schott, Playing the Harpsi- (fourth edition, ed. Don Michael Randel) normally have been replaced by the (quick and “running” character) often is chord (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1971), (Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, French form, except that it was too fi rm- found with the French (solemn charac- 72. England: The Belknap Press of Harvard Uni- ly settled to be driven out—“thus there ter) name. 9. Ibid., 73. versity Press, 2003), 221. 10. Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach, 218. 39. Little and Jenne, Dance and the Music existed side by side two utterly different Little concrete information is avail- 11. Ibid., 231. of J. S. Bach, 140. types [of courante]. It would be well to able about the tempo at which a cou- 12. Ibid., 329. 40. Ibid., 124. distinguish once and for all between the rante should be played. All we know for 13. Little and Jenne, Dance and the Music 41. Ibid., 123. corrente and the courante.”35 sure is that some courantes are faster of J. S. Bach, Appendix A. 42. Meredith Ellis Little and Suzanne G. Webster’s New World Dictionary of than others:49 François Couperin wrote 14. Albert Schweitzer, Johann Sebastian Cusick, “Courante.” The New Grove Diction- Music defi nes the courante as a stately courantes with the tempo notations Bach (Leipzig: VEB Breitkopf & Härtel ary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sa- and courtly old French dance in triple “noblement,” “un peu plus viste,” “un Musikverlag, 1954), 284. die and John Tyrrell (2nd ed. rev.) (London: meter, of moderate tempo and with peu plus gayement;” Nicholas-Antoine 15. Ibid., 285. Macmillan; New York: Grove’s Dictionaries, much melodic ornamentation.36 The cor- Lebègue wrote a “courante grave” fol- 16. J. S. Bach, Englische Suiten 1–3, BWV 2001), Vol. 6, 604. 806–808 (Urtext, ed. A. Kreutz) (New York: 43. Little and Jenne, Dance and the Music rente is defi ned as an Italian variant of lowed by a “courante gaye”—all in the Edition Peters, 1951), III. of J. S. Bach, 123. the French courante, with a faster tempo French style. 17. Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, 284. 37 44. Frederick Dorian, The History of Music and less fl orid ornamentation. Typically, In the courante, notes inégales, 18. J. S. Bach, Englische Suiten 4–6, BWV in Performance (New York: W. W. Norton & a courante is notated in 3/2 meter with a when appropriate, are on the 8th-note 809–811 (Urtext, ed. R. Steglich) (München: Company, 1942), 116–117. tendency to hemiolas that combine 6/4 level.50 According to Little and Jenne, G. Henle Verlag, 1957), Preface. 45. Newman, Bach and the Baroque, 203. and 3/2 accent patterns. It also tends to- notes inégales may be appropriate in 19. Ibid. 46. Fritz Rothschild, Vergessene Tradition ward polyphony. In contrast, a corrente Courante I in the English Suite in A 20. Ibid. in der Musik (Zürich: Atlantis Verlag, 1964), uses a fast triple meter (3/4 or 3/8) and is Major (BWV 806).51 [However, I have 21. J. S. Bach, Französische Suiten, BWV 170. generally homophonic.38 never heard anyone perform a couran- 812–817 (Urtext, ed. R. Steglich) (München: 47. Ibid., 174. G. Henle Verlag, 1972), III. 48. Robert Donington, The Interpretation Four of Bach’s French Suites include te using notes inégales.] 22. Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach, 168. of Early Music (New York: St. Martin’s Press, correntes (labeled as courantes). They Concerning performance of the cou- 23. Ibid., 196. 1974), 103. are small masterpieces with more bal- rante, Rudolf Steglich, the editor of 24. David Fuller, “Suite.” The New Grove 49. Little and Jenne, Dance and the Music ance and a more obvious sense of con- the Henle edition of the French Suites, Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. of J. S. Bach, 115. tinuity than the correntes in the suites paraphrased Mattheson (Bach’s contem- Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (2nd ed. rev.) 50. Ibid., 121. for solo violin or solo cello.39 Most have porary in Hamburg) and J. G. Walther (London: Macmillan; New York: Grove’s Dic- 51. Ibid., 124. a slow harmonic movement, implying a (Bach’s cousin and author of a musical tionaries, 2001), Vol. 24, 680. 52. Bach, Englische Suiten 4–6, Preface. fast tempo. All of Bach’s English Suites encyclopedia). Steglich stated that the 25. Ibid., 679. 53. Ibid. 40 26. Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, 283. 54. Bach, Englische Suiten 1–3, III. include French courantes. All of Bach’s courante was originally a French ball- 27. Ibid., 284. French courantes possess a time signa- room dance “but now (under Italian in- 28. Bukofzer, Music in the Baroque Era, Renate McLaughlin has had a lifelong ture of 3/2, except for the one in BWV fl uence) is a dance tune either in graceful, 260–305. interest in organ music. She retired from a 814 (French Suite III), where the time lightly fl owing 3/4 time, or in an equally 29. Ibid., 288. career as mathematics professor and univer- signature is 6/4.41 lilting yet ‘extremely serious’ rhythm. . . . 30. Ibid. sity administrator in order to study music. In Grove, Little and Cusick state fl atly There is always something pleasing and 31. Ibid. She is now a senior, majoring in organ per- that “many of Bach’s ‘courante’ move- delightful about it.” He did not mention 32. Anthony Newman, Bach and the Ba- formance, and is looking forward to gradu- ments are actually correntes.”42 The mix- the fact that the French Suites include roque: A performance guide to Baroque mu- ate school next fall. up between courantes and correntes may both courantes and correntes, which re- have been caused by early editors. It is quire rather different interpretation! interesting that Bach did not use the cou- Questions about ornamentation im- rante as a basis for works outside the realm pact the interpretation of music. Unfor- INCE 1979, we have of suites: we know of no courante arias or tunately, there is no consistency in the choruses in his other compositions.43 surviving copies of the French and Eng- designed and built over How much our knowledge of perfor- lish suites, since at Bach’s time the nota- 120 new pipe organs for mance practices and the history of our tion for ornaments was not systematized S music has increased in recent years is in detail.52 clients in Australia, Austria, made evident in Frederick Dorian’s sec- Rudolf Steglich wrote about the cou- New Zealand, England, tion on the courante.44 His book was pub- rantes in the last three English Suites lished in 1942 and includes a preface by that they are to be played in fl owing Canada and the United States. Eugene Ormandy. In the book, Dorian movements of three half-notes (not six Our instruments, whether cited the confl icting descriptions for the quarter-notes), and that the change of courante. For example, Shakespeare rhythm to two-part time at the close of tracker or electric action, have called it “swift” and Quantz called it the sections is to be observed.53 been praised for their rugged “pompous.” But Dorian ascribed the dif- Alfred Kreutz, editor of the English construction, comfortable ferent descriptions to the development of Suites for Peters Verlag, wrote that he de- Opus 116 the courante over time. He gave no hint liberately gave no indications of tempo or consoles, responsive key that there might have been two national dynamics, since this could only be done actions and tonal integrity. styles (Italian and French) that co-ex- subjectively due to a lack of sources.54 isted. Instead, he merely attributed the It appears that the best we can do New cases, keyboards, two different time signatures for couran- is to learn as much as we can about windchests, reservoirs and tes/correntes to lighter or heavier accents Bach’s suites, and the courantes in par- and considered 80 beats per minute as an ticular, but then rely on our musical pipes are all built from raw appropriate tempo for both types. taste, the particular instrument, and materials within our two the acoustics of the room to do justice Performance considerations to the compositions. workshops located in Saint- Anthony Newman wrote45 that with only Hyacinthe, Québec. Our team notes on a page, it is almost impossible for Conclusion a performer to “give the proper energy to We can accept as a fact that Baroque of experienced builders also the music.” Performers who played under movements labeled as courante fall restores and rebuilds older composers who insisted that their music into two different categories: the swift should be played exactly as written report corrente of Italian origin with running instruments to make them that in actuality the composers did not fol- fi guration and slow harmonic motion, sound and play better than ever. Opus 118 low their own instructions (Newman cites and the complex and slower courante of Stravinsky as an example). French origin. Exactly how each is per- In the space of less than half a page formed depends on the knowledge and and without a comment, Fritz Roth- good taste of the performer. ■ ÉTOURNEAU IPE RGANS schild quoted confl icting sources, L P O which stated that the courante should Notes be played quickly and that it should be 1. Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne, Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach (expanded USA Canada played “seriously” [Der Couranten-Tact 1220 L Street NW 16 355, avenue Savoie ist der allerernsthaffsteste [sic] den man edition) (Bloomington and Indianapolis: In- 46 diana University Press, 2001), 3. Suite 100 – Box 200 St-Hyacinthe, Québec fi nden kann]. In addition, he gave sev- 2. Ibid., 4. Washington, DC J2T 3N1 eral musical examples where he marked 47 3. Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: 20005-4018 Tel: 450-774-2698 the locations of the beats in the score The Learned Musician (New York and Lon- Tel: 800-625-PIPE Fax: 450-774-3008 and clearly did not distinguish a corrente don: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000), 182. Fax: 202-737-1818 [email protected] from a courante, indicating a slow tempo 4. Ibid., ix–x. [email protected] www.letourneauorgans.com for the corrente! 5. Manfred F. Bukofzer, Music in the Ba- Robert Donington48 observed that roque Era: from Monteverdi to Bach (New while normally in suites the title of a York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1947), 282.

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