Suite anglaise n°01 - Bourrée n°1 - BWV 806

About this work

In the Bourrée I from English Suite No. 1, BWV 806, Johann Sebastian Bach launches the dance from a short upbeat. Treble and bass then exchange rhythmic and melodic cells. This circulation creates the music’s vitality more effectively than a hurried tempo ever could.
Planning the points of arrival
First identify the harmonic goals and play only the main beats. The outline of both sections becomes easy to hear. Restore the quavers by aiming each group towards its destination: the touch may remain light, but the direction needs to be clear. In imitative passages, bring out each new entry before allowing it to rejoin the shared texture.
Ornaments fit inside the beat without delaying the next note. Prepare them in short groups and release the hand after each one. On repeats, alter the colour or the length of an ending discreetly. Such measured changes keep the second journey alive while preserving the regular frame of the bourrée.
Score and listening guide
The PDF presents the complete piece on two pages. The Mutopia Project record credits Allen Garvin for this engraving derived from the public-domain Bach-Gesellschaft edition. The MIDI lets you follow the moving lines and the repeats; touch and breathing remain yours to decide. Find more Bach scores at LesPartitions.info.