Introduction to the French Suites

Bach composed six "French Suites." Bach himself titled them "Suites for Clavier," and the person who coined the name "French Suites" is unknown. It is likely that they came to be called this because they are elegant, approachable, and refined music, incorporating a French sensibility. The exact composition date is also unclear, but it is estimated to be around 1722. This is because five of these French Suites (Nos. 1-5) are included in the "Clavierbüchlein" (1722), a collection of pieces Bach first presented to his second wife, Anna Magdalena, whom he married in 1721 after the death of his first wife.

Structure of the Suites

Each suite is composed of several dance movements, typically proceeding with an Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and concluding with a Gigue. These four dance movements form the classical standard form of the keyboard suite established in the late 17th century. Following the custom of the time, Bach employs typical melodic patterns and idioms from the beginning of each piece, making these dances immediately recognizable.

Core Dance Movements

The Allemande, a French word meaning "German," is in 4/4 time and begins on an upbeat. It is a dance that proceeds calmly and continuously without interruption. The Courante is a lively dance at a somewhat fast tempo; in the French style, it is in 3/2 or 6/4 time, while in the Italian style, it is in 3/4 or 3/8 time. The Sarabande is a triple-meter dance of Spanish origin, where two consecutive measures form a unit. It proceeds in a solemn and weighty manner. The Gigue is a light and fast dance originating from England. Its original time signatures are typically 3/8, 6/8, or 12/8, but Bach sometimes notated it in 4/4 time, dividing each beat into triplets.

Optional Dance Movements

While the sequence of dance movements (A-C-S-G) was standard in Bach's time, various "modern dances" were permitted to be inserted between the Sarabande and the Gigue. Representative examples include the Air, Minuet, Gavotte, and Bourrée. The Air, equivalent to the Italian "aria," is a song-like piece of music. Therefore, the Air is not inherently a dance but an instrumental piece often inserted into dance suites. The Minuet is an elegant and graceful dance that originated in France and became popular in high society. It is in a moderate 3/4 time and was later adopted by Haydn in his symphonies. It is usually superficially divided into two parts, and with repetitions, it takes the form of Minuet-Trio-Minuet da capo. (The middle section is called "Trio" because, in court dances, an obbligato instrument was used in the middle section to create a trio texture, adding variety to the sound. In keyboard suites, it is not necessarily written for three voices.) The Gavotte is another bright and lively dance that originated in France and became popular in high society. It is usually in 4/4 time and begins on the third beat. The Bourrée, appearing in No. 5, is of French origin, a light two-beat dance particularly favored in court.

Among the six French Suites, the first three are in minor keys, and the latter three are in major keys, with each suite being tonally unified.

French Suite No. 6

Since the Sixth Suite is not included in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, it is believed to have been composed separately at a later date. In the Gerbler manuscript, the most important source adopted as version A by the New Bach Edition, the Gigue is placed before the Minuet. (Furthermore, Gerbler also inscribed the Prelude in E major from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, preceding the Allemande.) However, various other manuscripts exist, including versions that end with the Gigue as usual, and versions that treat the Minuet as a trio to a Polonaise. It is not clear which sequence the composer actually intended.

Perhaps because it was composed last, it shows increased maturity, possessing a balanced form and clear writing while containing rich musical content. The Gigue, in particular, conveys a sense of grandeur with its flowing melody spanning the full range of the keyboard.