Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/770

758 principal figures and features throughout, rather than to concentrate the interest of the subject in definite parts of the movement. In order, however, to strengthen the effect of balance between the two halves, certain devices are common and characteristic, especially with regard to the beginnings and endings of each half. Thus though composers do not seem to have aimed at recapitulation, there is frequently a clear relation between the opening bars of each half. This often amounts to no more than a subtle equivalence in the distribution of the group of rhythms in the bar, or a very loose transcript of its melodic features. But in some cases, most especially in Bach, the opening bars of the latter half present a free inversion of the beginning of the first half, or a sort of free shuffling of the parts approximating to double counterpoint. The first mode is clearly illustrated by the Courante of the 3rd Partita in A minor as follows:

The Allemande of the 4th Suite Anglaise supplies a remarkable example of free inversion of figures and parts at the same time.

The other point, of even more common occurrence, is the correspondence of the ends of each half, which prevails particularly in allemandes, courantes and gigues. A very fine and full example is supplied by the Allemande of Bach's 1st Suite Anglaise; the Courante of his 2nd Suite Française supplies another of some length; and among works of other composers the Allemande of Lully's Suite in E minor, the Courante of Mattheson's Suite no. 5 in C minor, the Courante of Handel's 4th Suite, the Gigue of his 8th Suite, and most of his Allemandes, are instances to the point. In the particular manner of the suite movements both these devices are exceedingly effective as emphasising the balance of halves, and in the finest movements the balance of material and modulation is carefully distributed for the same end. Thus much of form applies more or less to all the movements which are based on dance rhythms, or developed on that principle. Each of the movements has also severally distinct characteristics, upon which the form of the suite as a whole is mainly based. For the better understanding of this it will be best to take the group which forms the average nucleus or so-called canon of the Suite. In the severest simplicity of the form the Allemande comes first, as in all Bach's French Suites, in some of Couperin's, and many by earlier composers. The origin of tho movement is obscure, and it is maintained that it is not based upon any dance, since the Allemande of Suabian origin, said to be the only dance-form of that name known, is quite distinct from it. However that may be, its constitution, which is most important, consists mainly of moderately slow 4-time, with regular smooth motion—most frequently of semiquavers—distributed in a figurate manner between the various parts, and its character has been generally regarded as appropriately quiet and sober; which Mattheson described as the 'Ruhe des Anfangs.' To this the Courante, which almost invariably follows it in the mature suite, is supposed and intended to supply a contrast, but it cannot be maintained that it always does so successfully. The character of this movement varies considerably, owing chiefly to the fact that there are two decidedly distinct forms derived from different sources. The one of Italian origin which is found most frequently in Corelli's Sonatas, in most of Handel's, in some but not all of Purcell's Suites, and in Bach's 5th and 6th French Suites, and 5th Partita, is in 3-4 time, of quick, light, and direct movement, full of rapid passages of simple character, with simple rhythm, and free from complication. This in general supplies in an obvious sense a fair contrast to the Allemande. The other Courante, of French origin, is nominally in 3-2 time, but its characteristic is a peculiar intermixture of 3-2 and 6-4, which is supposed to produce a stronger antithesis to the smooth motion of the Allemande. In the original dance it is said that this characteristic was chiefly confined to the last bars of each half, but in mature suite movements it was elaborately worked into the body of the movement with very curious effect. The quality is shown as early as Kuhnau, but more frequently in Couperin's Suites, from whom it is said Bach adopted it. The following example from Couperin's 3rd Suite is characteristic.