J. S. Bach: French Suite No. 1 for French Horn Quartet | Arr. James M. Guthrie

J. S. Bach's French Suite No. 1, BWV 812, arranged for French horn quartet by James M. Guthrie. Explore French horn chamber music, horn-quartet repertoire, Bach's music, and sheet music information below. https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/pro... https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/I... Program notes J. S. Bach (1685–1750) French Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812 Arranged for French horn quartet by James M. Guthrie I. Allemande II. Courante III. Sarabande IV. Menuet I – Menuet II V. Gigue Bach never called these works "French Suites." He called them keyboard suites, and no one knows who first used the nickname. They date from the end of his Cöthen years (1717–1723). The earliest versions appear at the front of the Clavier-Büchlein he began in 1722 for Anna Magdalena, his second wife, whom he had married the December before. Most suites in that notebook are hurried first drafts, full of corrections. The D minor suite is the exception: a clean, fair copy, so Bach must have written it earlier. The demanding music suggests Anna Magdalena was already a capable keyboard player. The book seems meant more for her enjoyment than her instruction. The suite uses the standard Baroque order of allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, with a newer dance, here a pair of minuets, placed before the gigue. Bach also ties the movements together. The main melodies of the Allemande, Courante, and Gigue are clearly related, giving the suite unusual unity. The Allemande flows calmly in an unbroken line, as the dance does by tradition. In the quartet, the melody moves from horn to horn, and the parts weave together in a way a keyboard can only suggest. The Courante follows the French model, with its broad triple meter and shifting rhythmic stresses. The Sarabande is the solemn, slow center of the suite. It is a Spanish-origin dance in which pairs of measures form one larger pulse. Its dense, voice-led texture suits four horns especially well: the sustained tone and blended sound bring out suspensions and inner lines that fade quickly on a keyboard. The two Menuets are courtly and graceful. The second is long and does not follow the usual trio form. The Gigue ends the suite in an unusual way. Instead of the light compound meter typical of the dance, it is written entirely in 4/4, and its dotted rhythms stand out sharply. It is not a strict fugue but a three-voice piece built on imitation. In the second half, Bach inverts the opening subject. On horns, the dotted figures take on a crisp, almost ceremonial edge, ending the suite with energy and contrapuntal brilliance.