he Concerto and the Musette: J.S. Bach’s English Suite No. 3
The third of J.S. Bach’s “English” Suites, a magnificent work in the tempestuous key of G minor, is perhaps the most beloved and dramatic of the entire set. Like its siblings, its connection to England is a historical puzzle; the title likely has more to do with Bach’s admiration for a London-based composer than any commission from an English patron. What is not a puzzle, however, is the work’s immense power and popularity. From its grand, concerto-like opening to its famously charming gavotte, the English Suite No. 3, BWV
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he Concerto and the Musette: J.S. Bach’s English Suite No. 3
The third of J.S. Bach’s “English” Suites, a magnificent work in the tempestuous key of G minor, is perhaps the most beloved and dramatic of the entire set. Like its siblings, its connection to England is a historical puzzle; the title likely has more to do with Bach’s admiration for a London-based composer than any commission from an English patron. What is not a puzzle, however, is the work’s immense power and popularity. From its grand, concerto-like opening to its famously charming gavotte, the English Suite No. 3, BWV 808, is a masterpiece of keyboard writing, showcasing Bach’s supreme ability to merge large-scale Italian drama with the stylized elegance of the French dance suite.
Composed alongside the other suites around 1715 in Weimar, the G-minor suite immediately establishes a tone of high drama. The Prelude is a monumental movement, structured like a full-fledged Italian concerto. It launches with a fiery, unforgettable theme that relentlessly drives the movement forward. This powerful orchestral-style ritornello alternates with episodes of wild, virtuosic fantasy for the soloist, full of brilliant scale passages and arpeggios that cascade across the keyboard. The sheer scale and intensity of this movement distinguish it within the set and set the stage for the rich emotional journey to come.
Following this brilliant display is the Allemande. This stately German dance provides a moment of lyrical reflection. Here, Bach weaves a dense, expressive tapestry of polyphonic lines, a continuous and seamless flow of invention where melody and harmony are perfectly intertwined. The energy picks up once more in the blistering Courante, a French dance whose name means “running.” The music does exactly that, with intricate, athletic lines for both hands chasing each other in a brilliant and breathless display of contrapuntal dexterity.
The suite’s emotional anchor is the profoundly beautiful Sarabande. As is his custom, Bach transforms this slow, triple-meter court dance into a moment of deep pathos and introspection. The noble, unadorned melodic line is presented first, followed by a highly ornamented double (les agréments), where the composer himself writes out the exquisite embellishments, turning a solemn dance into a deeply personal and expressive soliloquy.
Out of this somber mood emerges one of Bach’s most famous and delightful creations: a pair of contrasting Gavottes. The first is a crisp, rhythmically sharp dance in G minor. But it is the second gavotte that has enchanted listeners for centuries. Subtitled “ou la Musette,” it suddenly shifts to a bright G major. A “musette” was a type of French bagpipe, and Bach brilliantly imitates its sound by having the melody sing out over a constant, open-fifth drone in the bass. The effect is one of rustic, pastoral charm—a sudden, beautiful glimpse of a sunny countryside festival that provides a perfect, heartwarming contrast to the suite’s prevailing minor-key intensity.
The work concludes with a magnificent Gigue. This spirited dance is a masterfully constructed, three-voice fugue, full of rhythmic vitality and intellectual rigor. Its subject is complex and energetic, and Bach develops it with unstoppable logic and creativity, bringing this powerful and beloved suite to a thrilling and brilliantly satisfying end.
