English Suite No.2: Bourrée I BWV 807

Description

English Suite No. 2 in A minor is one of the most often played of Bach's six English Suites. After the prelude come the allemande, courante and sarabande, then a pair of bourrées, and finally the gigue. This is the first of the bourrées, and it brings energy to the second half of the suite.

It is in A minor and 2/2, about a minute and a quarter long with 714 notes, larger in both size and note count than Bourrée I of the first suite. Over the bourrée's rhythm starting in the second half of the bar, both hands keep moving in quick notes, and though in the minor the music drives forward strongly. It is customarily played again after the A major Bourrée II that follows.

It is rated intermediate; the notes are dense and both hands need agility. The task is to keep track of the two broad beats of 2/2 through the quick figures and keep each downbeat clear. Everything lies between C2 and C6, so a 61-key keyboard is enough. Slow the playback and check each hand's motion with the hand colours, break the fast passages into sections with the A-B loop, and then bring it back gradually to speed so it keeps its momentum.

Six suites by Bach known as the "English Suites," combining French elegance with technical brilliance.