Keep in mind this video is just an introduction. Ultimately you will learn the most by analyzing many different Courantes yourself! Also don’t forget to check out my own Suite in the description above 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻
A wonderful introduction! I'd only like to mention that the hemiola is more liberally used in French courantes, but the Italian ones seem to tend to avoid it, unless during cadencial figures. Also, while I've played much less Italian ones, it seems to me that they also tend to have less dottig. And speaking of anacrusis; while one eight seems to be the norm, Louis Couperin for example very often uses three eights.
I’ve listened to a lot of music from the baroque era, and I was completely convinced your courante for two violins was music from 400 years ago. Not yet knowing it was from your baroque suite, I had made a mental note to myself to find the info on it so I could add it to my library. The quality of the performance and sound were also factors that caught my attention.
Okay things are set, I’m going to compose a Baroque Dance Suite. And the votes seem to be for me to expand it out from the traditional 6 to include more dances from the Baroque, such as the Bourree. I already have the Gavotte in progress and it is going fast(it’s been 5 days and I already have the main melody and bass in the A section that goes from G Major to D Major and the B section modulating from D Major to B Minor to A Major, back to D and then back to G and the countermelody in the A section. I might do a double of this Gavotte, having Gavotte II be in G Minor, I haven’t decided yet.
I'm watching these to help me better interpret one of my favorite styles, which is the baroque period. Thank you also for your pedagogy I and many others, I'm sure, are quite appreciative of your work. Thank you.
J S Bach wrote a number of Courantes in 3/2, 6/4, 3/4…A stately court dance according to a variety of sources. Bach in Leipzig was very good friends with three French Dance Masters, on had the finest private orchestra in the city. I doubt he would be unaware of the difference in performance. In fact the English Suites and the later written French suites, including in early manuscripts an earlier Eb and a minor Suites in student collections contain exclusively Courantes (some contain Doubles). J S Bach would in the Six Partitas collected after separate publication of 1-3 and the Overture in the French Manner one finds Bach alternate three Courante with four Corrente in his Clavier Uebung Pt 1. and half of Pt 2. Walter published first in Weimar 1728 and later Leipzig 1731 Musical Lexicon (the latter his distant cousin J S Bach) was the agent mentioned both Courante and Corrente. A variety of sources describes both the French (flowing) and the Italian virtuoso piece (Corrente , running),with distinction that the Italian form was a fast Virtuoso piece played fast as in Presto. The French Majestic form had become an archaic dance by the time Rousseau wrote his dictionary in 1754.; surviving mainly in the Courante dance step used in Minuets and other dances. Armand Louis Couperin wrote a single Courante in his 1751 Pieces For Harpsichord, Duphly who wrote harpsichord music into the 1760s didn’t write a Courante by name after 1744, as to other later harpsichord composers, they abandoned the Suite format, if not some of the dances, for Picturesque Portrait Pieces and much later Sonatas (but not the Sonata Allegro Form of the Classic period). Rameau et al did write Courantes with the word Vite, possibly to avoid the Italian word… However, most pianists play every Courante as a Corrente most likely to wow the audience and the Allemande (a slow entry dance) and the Sarabande receive similar treatment as though the performer on the stage was illegally double parked in a handicap zone or was late to catch a flight to their next engagement. One received an English Knighthood for the practice of doing so…
I have thought about composing a dance suite, not necessarily Baroque, but possibly more Classical/Romantic The only Baroque dance I could see including in that suite is the Minuet. And while the Polonaise is used in the Baroque, I think of it as a Romantic dance.
I haven’t make it to discern whether the last movement of Bach’s 82 cantata “Ich habe genug “ is a Gigue or a Courante, or maybe another type of baroque dance. Can somebody help me? 😬
We wouldn't usually refer to a dance in a vocal piece, but in fact the last movement of that fabulous cantata is indeed very gigue-like, as you suggest! Not least of all because it's the last movement, which is typical for a gigue.
There is a folk dance calles Courenta in italy that uses to have two parts a slow and a quick one. Look for Courenta de Lomanha. It would be odd that they're not related in any way.
There is also Polish Kurant and you can hear a fragment in this aria from opera by Moniuszko at 4:50. ruclips.net/video/BZBOJ45h7nA/видео.html In Poland Kurant is also a name for a melody played by the clock, like the same Moniuszko melody here ruclips.net/video/UqN_6aiNrNk/видео.html
I have a question. In this video, you say that sectional endings in a courante occur on an unstressed beat (2 or 3). However, in the Bach Cello Suites, the courantes almost always end on beat 1; the only exceptions are the 2nd and 5th suite (i.e. the two suites in minor keys), where the courantes do end on beat 3. Is this just a choice by Bach, or is there something to the correlation between major keys having "male" endings, and minor keys having "female" endings, or is there another explanation?
I don't know, speed and triple meter is about all I hear in common between the Mazurka and Courante. The Courante doesn't have the beat 2 accent that the Mazurka does, nor does the Mazurka have the frequent use of hemiola that the Courante does.
It can be either triple meter, or compound duple meter. Depends on how you subdivide it. If it's divided into 3 half notes and takes on the characteristic of 3/2 time, then it is triple meter.
@@druntopronto7598 You're missing the point. In most cases you'd be correct, but in the case of a Courante that uses the hemiola, 6/8 or 6/4 can also be understood as triple meter.
I'm wondering where you get your dance information. There is no evidence whatsoever that the 18th century French courante is about hopping. In fact, it is about FLOWING, like a CURRENT. If you are only using Arbeau as a reference, the courante changed greatly from 1588 to the Beauchamp-Feuillet notated dances from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
"Courir" is french and means running. In his treatise "Harmonie Universelle "1636, I think Mersenne described the characteristic movement of a courante as " hopping back and forth".
And also - Michael Praetorius mentions the dance in 'Syntagma Musicum', referring to "certain measured up and down skips as if (one were) running while dancing". This adds the idea of skips and hops to that of running.
As a baroque dancer I agree! The meaning of words often change over time. Courante choreographies of the late 17th and early 18th centruries were basicly a very refined way of walking. Quick steps as "pas de bourée vite" and half-jumps "demi jeté" did occur, but only as ornaments to the basic "pas de courante".
IIRC it was originally a poetry term, where a line of poetry adds one extra syllable than would be expected for a given meter. Basically it adds a slight sense of rhythmic awkwardness to a poetic line, or musical phrase. Not sure about the origin of the term, though.
Keep in mind this video is just an introduction. Ultimately you will learn the most by analyzing many different Courantes yourself!
Also don’t forget to check out my own Suite in the description above 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻
Writing a dance suite in contemporary style this semester 😅
@@JuniorTan Cool! I’m doing exactly the same thing at the moment. Great minds think alike. 👍🏻
A wonderful introduction!
I'd only like to mention that the hemiola is more liberally used in French courantes, but the Italian ones seem to tend to avoid it, unless during cadencial figures.
Also, while I've played much less Italian ones, it seems to me that they also tend to have less dottig.
And speaking of anacrusis; while one eight seems to be the norm, Louis Couperin for example very often uses three eights.
Very helpful as a composer myself. Thanks for this. I will compose a Baroque Suite for Solo Piano.
Well do share when you’re finished with it!
Have you finished your suite? Let us know.
I’ve listened to a lot of music from the baroque era, and I was completely convinced your courante for two violins was music from 400 years ago. Not yet knowing it was from your baroque suite, I had made a mental note to myself to find the info on it so I could add it to my library. The quality of the performance and sound were also factors that caught my attention.
Okay things are set, I’m going to compose a Baroque Dance Suite. And the votes seem to be for me to expand it out from the traditional 6 to include more dances from the Baroque, such as the Bourree. I already have the Gavotte in progress and it is going fast(it’s been 5 days and I already have the main melody and bass in the A section that goes from G Major to D Major and the B section modulating from D Major to B Minor to A Major, back to D and then back to G and the countermelody in the A section. I might do a double of this Gavotte, having Gavotte II be in G Minor, I haven’t decided yet.
Very interesting and informative thank you so much for putting your efforts for us ❤️
This is gold , thank you!
Exactly what I was searching for to better grasping Bach's cello and other suites. Thank you so much.
Thank you. This was very educational. I just Finished Bach’s Violin Courante and didn’t know this.
Love these! Informative and professional. Waiting for the next ones!
What a beautiful music.
Your baroque suite is AWESOME! Thank you for your work. :) So well done.
I'm watching these to help me better interpret one of my favorite styles, which is the baroque period. Thank you also for your pedagogy I and many others, I'm sure, are quite appreciative of your work. Thank you.
J S Bach wrote a number of Courantes in 3/2, 6/4, 3/4…A stately court dance according to a variety of sources. Bach in Leipzig was very good friends with three French Dance Masters, on had the finest private orchestra in the city. I doubt he would be unaware of the difference in performance. In fact the English Suites and the later written French suites, including in early manuscripts an earlier Eb and a minor Suites in student collections contain exclusively Courantes (some contain Doubles).
J S Bach would in the Six Partitas collected after separate publication of 1-3 and the Overture in the French Manner one finds Bach alternate three Courante with four Corrente in his Clavier Uebung Pt 1. and half of Pt 2.
Walter published first in Weimar 1728 and later Leipzig 1731 Musical Lexicon (the latter his distant cousin J S Bach) was the agent mentioned both Courante and Corrente. A variety of sources describes both the French (flowing) and the Italian virtuoso piece (Corrente , running),with distinction that the Italian form was a fast Virtuoso piece played fast as in Presto.
The French Majestic form had become an archaic dance by the time Rousseau wrote his dictionary in 1754.; surviving mainly in the Courante dance step used in Minuets and other dances.
Armand Louis Couperin wrote a single Courante in his 1751 Pieces For Harpsichord, Duphly who wrote harpsichord music into the 1760s didn’t write a Courante by name after 1744, as to other later harpsichord composers, they abandoned the Suite format, if not some of the dances, for Picturesque Portrait Pieces and much later Sonatas (but not the Sonata Allegro Form of the Classic period).
Rameau et al did write Courantes with the word Vite, possibly to avoid the Italian word…
However, most pianists play every Courante as a Corrente most likely to wow the audience and the Allemande (a slow entry dance) and the Sarabande receive similar treatment as though the performer on the stage was illegally double parked in a handicap zone or was late to catch a flight to their next engagement. One received an English Knighthood for the practice of doing so…
Thank you for the in depth additional info!
Thanks for this hope to see more videos am using the forms of a dance suite for scoring a video game right now and this is super helpful!
Sigue así! Buen video! Fantástica edición y buena información. 👏
Beautifully produced. Well done!
I love barock music and this channel
I have thought about composing a dance suite, not necessarily Baroque, but possibly more Classical/Romantic The only Baroque dance I could see including in that suite is the Minuet. And while the Polonaise is used in the Baroque, I think of it as a Romantic dance.
thank you for this
Please may you do the form, accentuation, and meter of the Bourée please!? I need help with this for my audition.
Should be the topic of my next form video. Don’t know if it’ll be done to help you in time though 😕
I haven’t make it to discern whether the last movement of Bach’s 82 cantata “Ich habe genug “ is a Gigue or a Courante, or maybe another type of baroque dance. Can somebody help me? 😬
We wouldn't usually refer to a dance in a vocal piece, but in fact the last movement of that fabulous cantata is indeed very gigue-like, as you suggest! Not least of all because it's the last movement, which is typical for a gigue.
There is a folk dance calles Courenta in italy that uses to have two parts a slow and a quick one. Look for Courenta de Lomanha. It would be odd that they're not related in any way.
I love the comment section. Thanks for informing me about this.
Such good information! :D
Schwätz, schwätz. Zanzen!!! Vorträge haben wir genug gehört..
wow. Thank you for making this video! Are you willing to make scrolling score videos for a fee, or does somebody else do this for You?
There is also Polish Kurant and you can hear a fragment in this aria from opera by Moniuszko at 4:50. ruclips.net/video/BZBOJ45h7nA/видео.html
In Poland Kurant is also a name for a melody played by the clock, like the same Moniuszko melody here ruclips.net/video/UqN_6aiNrNk/видео.html
I have a question. In this video, you say that sectional endings in a courante occur on an unstressed beat (2 or 3). However, in the Bach Cello Suites, the courantes almost always end on beat 1; the only exceptions are the 2nd and 5th suite (i.e. the two suites in minor keys), where the courantes do end on beat 3. Is this just a choice by Bach, or is there something to the correlation between major keys having "male" endings, and minor keys having "female" endings, or is there another explanation?
3/4. 3/8 COURANTA LEADS TO MAZUR-MAZURKA?
I don't know, speed and triple meter is about all I hear in common between the Mazurka and Courante. The Courante doesn't have the beat 2 accent that the Mazurka does, nor does the Mazurka have the frequent use of hemiola that the Courante does.
Whats the song 4:12 ?
The Courante from my own suite. You can purchase it via the link the description.
@@MusicaUniversalis is it on youtube or apple music?
Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon
since when is 6/4 triple meter?????
It can be either triple meter, or compound duple meter. Depends on how you subdivide it. If it's divided into 3 half notes and takes on the characteristic of 3/2 time, then it is triple meter.
@@MusicaUniversalis no no no it can not be this is 3/2 not 6/4
@@druntopronto7598 Ever heard of the hemiola? I explain it in the video.
@@MusicaUniversalis hemiola is not time signature you very clever
@@druntopronto7598 You're missing the point. In most cases you'd be correct, but in the case of a Courante that uses the hemiola, 6/8 or 6/4 can also be understood as triple meter.
I'm wondering where you get your dance information. There is no evidence whatsoever that the 18th century French courante is about hopping. In fact, it is about FLOWING, like a CURRENT. If you are only using Arbeau as a reference, the courante changed greatly from 1588 to the Beauchamp-Feuillet notated dances from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
"Courir" is french and means running. In his treatise "Harmonie Universelle "1636, I think Mersenne described the characteristic movement of a courante as " hopping back and forth".
And also - Michael Praetorius mentions the dance in 'Syntagma Musicum', referring to "certain measured up and down skips as if (one were) running while dancing". This adds the idea of skips and hops to that of running.
As a baroque dancer I agree! The meaning of words often change over time. Courante choreographies of the late 17th and early 18th centruries were basicly a very refined way of walking. Quick steps as "pas de bourée vite" and half-jumps "demi jeté" did occur, but only as ornaments to the basic "pas de courante".
FEMALE ENDING?
IIRC it was originally a poetry term, where a line of poetry adds one extra syllable than would be expected for a given meter. Basically it adds a slight sense of rhythmic awkwardness to a poetic line, or musical phrase. Not sure about the origin of the term, though.