A French Form, a German Master, and an English Mystery: Bach’s English Suite No. 1
The set of six keyboard suites to which this evening’s work belongs carries one of the most curious and debated nicknames in all of music: the “English” Suites. Why English? Johann Sebastian Bach, the quintessential German master, never traveled to England. The form he uses—a sequence of stylized courtly dances preceded by a grand prelude—is quintessentially French. The enduring mystery of the title provides a charming entry point into this magnificent work, the first of a set that represents Bach at his most rhythmically vital and melodically inventive.
The most persistent, though likely apocryphal, story comes from Bach’s first biographer, Johann Nikolaus Forkel. He claimed the suites were composed for a wealthy English nobleman, though he provided no name or further details. A more plausible musicological theory points to the first suite’s magnificent Prelude. Scholars have noted its striking similarity to a suite by Charles Dieupart, a French composer who was highly successful in London. It’s possible that Bach was paying homage to his "English" contemporary, or that an early copyist simply made the connection and the name stuck. Whatever the reason, the title is a happy accident of history for a work that is international in spirit and universal in its appeal.
Composed around 1715 during Bach’s tenure in Weimar, the English Suites are among his earliest keyboard suites. They are grander and more expansive than his later French Suites or Partitas. Each follows a specific and elegant architectural plan: a brilliant, virtuosic Prelude followed by the four traditional dances of the Baroque suite—the Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue—with one or more lighter, optional dances (known as galanteries) inserted before the end.
The English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806, is a perfect example of this form. It begins with a majestic Prelude, a brilliant showcase of two-part invention. The right and left hands engage in a lively, intricate dialogue, chasing each other through dazzling runs and complex contrapuntal figures. It is a bold, attention-grabbing opening.
Next comes the stately Allemande, a German dance of a moderate, flowing tempo. The music is richly ornamented and complex, a web of interwoven melodic lines that demands great clarity from the performer. This is followed by a pair of Courantes. The first is a French-style courante, full of rhythmic ambiguity and shifting accents. The second is in the faster, more straightforward Italian style (corrente), and each is followed by a double, or an embellished variation, showcasing Bach’s boundless decorative imagination.
The heart of any Bach suite is the Sarabande, and this one is a jewel of profound, introspective beauty. This slow, triple-meter Spanish dance becomes a moment of deep contemplation in Bach’s hands, its solemn, decorated melody a quiet prayer.
To lighten the mood, Bach inserts a pair of cheerful Bourrées, quick French folk dances with a characteristic upbeat. The first is bright and rustic, while the second provides a moment of charming, subdued contrast before the first returns. The suite concludes with a thrilling Gigue, a lively dance of Irish or English origin. It is a brilliant, joyful fugue, with the second half ingeniously using an inverted version of the opening theme, bringing the entire work to a breathless and exhilarating close. From its mysterious title to its final, brilliant note, the First English Suite is a masterpiece of stylized dance, rhythmic energy, and contrapuntal genius.
