French Suites, BWV 812-817

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The French Suites, BWV 812-817, refer to six suites written by Johann Sebastian Bach for the clavier (harpsichord or clavichord). They were later given the name 'French' (first recorded usage by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg in 1762) as a contrast to the English Suites (whose title is likewise a later appellation). The name was popularised by Bach's biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, who, in 1802, claimed they were written in the French style. This claim, however, is inaccurate: like Bach's other suites, they follow a largely Italian convention. Two additional suites, one in A minor (BWV 818), the other in E-flat Major (BWV 819), are linked to the familiar six in some manuscripts.

The Overture in the French style, BWV 831, which Bach published as the second part of Clavier-Übung, is a suite in the French style but not connected to the French suites.

The French suites

1st suite in D minor, BWV 812

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Menuet I/II
5. Gigue

2nd suite in C minor, BWV 813

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Air
5. Menuet
6. Menuet - Trio (in BWV 813a)
7. Gigue

3rd suite in B minor, BWV 814

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Menuet
5. Trio
6. Anglaise
7. Gigue

4th suite in E-flat major, BWV 815

1. Praeludium (in BWV 815a)
2. Allemande
3. Courante
4. Sarabande
5. Gavotte
6. Air
7. Gavotte I, Gavotte II (in BWV 815a)
8. Menuet (in BWV 815a)

5th suite in G major, BWV 816

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Gavotte
5. Bourrée
6. Loure
7. Gigue

6th suite in E major, BWV 817

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Gavotte
5. Polonaise
6. Bourrée
7. Menuet
8. Gigue

See also

• Works for keyboard by J.S. Bach
• Partitas, BWV 825-830
• English Suites, BWV 806-811
• Bach compositions printed during the composer's lifetime

Notes and references

External links

• French suites in Mutopia Project (free sheet music)

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Last updated on Wednesday January 30, 2008 at 03:59:08 PST (GMT -0800)
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