Overture in the French style, BWV 831

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For the musical form, see French overture

The Overture in the French style, BWV 831, original title Overture nach Französicher Art , also known as the French Overture and published as the second half of Clavier-Übung II in 1735 (along with the Italian Concerto), is a suite in B minor for two-manual harpsichord written by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The term 'Overture' refers to the fact that this suite starts with an Ouverture movement, and was a common generic name for French suites (his orchestral suites were similarly named.

Movements:

  1. Ouverture
  2. Courante
  3. Gavotte I/II
  4. Passepied I/II
  5. Sarabande
  6. Bourrée I/II
  7. Gique
  8. Echo

The length of the piece is approximately 30 minutes, depending on repeats.

The style of this work refers to composers like François Couperin who had published compositions in this suite format. Such suites had been composed as well for solo instruments as for orchestral settings. Bach's composition, though a work for solo harpsichord, employs a fuller sound than was customary for the French composers to whom he referred.[1]

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Book Review by Yo Tomita

[edit] External links

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