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Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996

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Suite in E minor, BWV 996, is a musical composition written by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) between 1708 and 1717. It is probable that this suite was intended for Lautenwerck (lute-harpsichord). Because the lautenwerk is an uncommon instrument, it is in modern times often performed on the guitar or the lute.

Musical structure

Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996, played on a lute-harpsichord (lautenwerck) 1. Präludium; Presto
2. Allemande
3. Courante
4. Sarabande
5. Bourrée
6. Gigue Performed by Martha Goldstein
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The work consists of six movements:

  1. Präludium: Presto
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. (Sarabande)
  5. Bourrée
  6. (Gigue)

Instrumentation

Bach wrote his lute pieces in a traditional score rather than in lute tablature, and if the work is intended for the lautenwerk, it would have been played on a keyboard. No original script of the Suite in E minor for Lute by Bach is known to exist. However, in the collection of one of Bach's pupils, Johann Ludwig Krebs, there is one piece ("Praeludio – con la Suite da Gio: Bast. Bach") that has written "aufs Lauten Werck" ("for the lute-harpsichord") in unidentified handwriting.

Some argue that despite the annotation about the lute-harpsichord, the piece was meant to be played on the lute, as demonstrated by the texture. Others argue that since the piece was written in E minor, it would be incompatible with the baroque lute, which was tuned to D minor unless a capo was on the 2nd fret. Nevertheless, it may be played with other string instruments, such as the guitar, mandola, or mandocello, and keyboard instruments (such as piano), and the fifth movement (the bourrée) is especially well-known among guitarists.

See also

  • Bourrée in E minor, other uses of the fifth movement bourrée from this suite in classical and popular music

References

  1. Ripin, Edwin M. & Wraight, Denzil (2001). "Lute-harpsichord". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
  2. Nancy Bachus; Daniel Glover (2000). The Baroque Spirit, Bk 2: Book & CD. Alfred Music Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-7390-0502-6.
  3. ^ Hannu Annala; Heiki Mätlik (2008). Handbook of Guitar and Lute Composers. Mel Bay Publications. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7866-5844-2.
  4. Johann Sebastian Bach; Jozsef Eotvos (2002). J. S. Bach: The Complete Lute Works. Mel Bay Publications. p. vi. ISBN 978-0-7866-6819-9.
  5. Elizabeth T. Knuth. "Bourrée". Retrieved 2007-12-18.

External links

Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Compositions for organ, keyboard and lute by Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ
Keyboard
Lute
Mixed
collections
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