"The allemande is a broken, serious, and well-constructed harmony, which is the image of content or satisfied spirit, which enjoys good order and calm."
Mattheson 1739[1]
​
Translated to mean ‘German,’ the allemande essentially originated as a German variant of the basse danse, with its earliest known documentation found in a 1521 dance manual published in London based on basse danses.[2] With rhythmic similarities to the bourree and the gavotte, the dance was popular in both the theatre and ballroom, although it was short lived as by 1636, Mersenne wrote that ‘the allemande was no longer danced to but only played.’[3] In 17th century France, the allemande was rarely danced to, but instead recognised as a standard component in the instrumental suite, and was popular within harpsichord suites.
​
The instrumental allemande should contain a serious yet proud character and is described by Brossard as a ‘sort of grave, solemn music, whose measure is full and moving.’[4] It is not too dissimilar from the prelude with its free and improvisatory manner and elaborate ornaments. A tempo should therefore be chosen to accommodate these features, but also allow for the forward motion of shorter note values which drive the movement onwards.
​
Allemandes are most often written in binary form and are in common or cut time, although some feature a time signature of 2. A quaver or semiquaver upbeat is characteristic and should lead to the placement of the first downbeat, which is frequently the same note. Notes inégales should be applied to semiquavers in stepwise movement.
​
One choreography by Louis Pecour of an allemande from 1702 has survived today. The dance is for a couple and includes many springing steps and uses interlocking hand and arm gestures. It has very few similarities to the slower, processional instrumental allemande popular during this same period as it adopts a much faster tempo and more joyful character.
​
​
[1] Mattheson, J. (1981) Der vollkommene Capellmeister. [Translated E. C. Harriss]
[2] Little, M. E; Cusick, S. G. (2001) Grove Music Online: Allemande
[3] Mather, B. B. (1987) Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque
[4] Brossard, S. (1740) Dictionnaire de Musique. [Translated by J. Grassineau]
"The allemande is a broken, serious, and well-constructed harmony, which is the image of content or satisfied spirit, which enjoys good order and calm."
Mattheson 1739[1]
​
Translated to mean ‘German,’ the allemande essentially originated as a German variant of the basse danse, with its earliest known documentation found in a 1521 dance manual published in London based on basse danses.[2] With rhythmic similarities to the bourree and the gavotte, the dance was popular in both the theatre and ballroom, although it was short lived as by 1636, Mersenne wrote that ‘the allemande was no longer danced to but only played.’[3] In 17th century France, the allemande was rarely danced to, but instead recognised as a standard component in the instrumental suite, and was popular within harpsichord suites.
​
The instrumental allemande should contain a serious yet proud character and is described by Brossard as a ‘sort of grave, solemn music, whose measure is full and moving.’[4] It is not too dissimilar from the prelude with its free and improvisatory manner and elaborate ornaments. A tempo should therefore be chosen to accommodate these features, but also allow for the forward motion of shorter note values which drive the movement onwards.
​
Allemandes are most often written in binary form and are in common or cut time, although some feature a time signature of 2. A quaver or semiquaver upbeat is characteristic and should lead to the placement of the first downbeat, which is frequently the same note. Notes inégales should be applied to semiquavers in stepwise movement.
​
One choreography by Louis Pecour of an allemande from 1702 has survived today. The dance is for a couple and includes many springing steps and uses interlocking hand and arm gestures. It has very few similarities to the slower, processional instrumental allemande popular during this same period as it adopts a much faster tempo and more joyful character.
​
​
[1] Mattheson, J. (1981) Der vollkommene Capellmeister. [Translated E. C. Harriss]
[2] Little, M. E; Cusick, S. G. (2001) Grove Music Online: Allemande
[3] Mather, B. B. (1987) Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque
[4] Brossard, S. (1740) Dictionnaire de Musique. [Translated by J. Grassineau]
Further Reading
Primary Resources
Brossard, S. (1769) Dictionnaire de Musique. [Translated J. Grassineau with appendix by J. J. Rousseau] Available at https://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f5/IMSLP121487-PMLP165977-Brossard_1769.pdf
Feuillet, R. A. (2007) Orchesography, Or, the Art of Dancing. Translated J. Weaver. Gloucester: Dodo Press
Hotteterre, J. M. (1983) Principles of the Flute, Recorder and Oboe. Translated P. M. Douglas, 1968. New York: Dover Publications Inc
Mattheson, J. (1981) Der vollkommene Capellmeister. Translated E. C. Harriss, 1981. Michigan: UMI Research Press.
Monteclair, M. P. (2008) Les Agrements – French Baroque Ornamentation. Translated G. Aufray, 2008. Hebden Bridge: Peacock Press
Quantz, J. J. (2001) On Playing the Flute. Translated E. R. Reilly, 1966. Croydon: Faber and Faber Limited
Rameau, P. (2003) The Dancing Master. Translated C. W. Beaumont, 1931. Nottingham: Russell Press
Tomlinson, K. (2015) The Art of Dancing. Milton Keynes: Lightning Source UK ltd
Secondary Resources
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Anthony, J. R; Wiley Hitchcock, H; et al. (1986) The New Grove French Baroque Masters. London and Basingstoke: Macmillan Publishers Limited
Anthony, J. R. (1997) French Baroque Music: from Beaujoyeulx to Rameau. Oregon: Amadeus Press
Barros, R. (2010) Dance as a Discourse. Saarbrüken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing
Brown, R. (2002) The Early Flute: A Practical Guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Dolmetsch, A. (1969) The Interpretation of the Music of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Washington: University of Washington Press
Harris-Warrick, R; Marsh, C. G. (1994) Musical Theatre at the Court of Louis XIV. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Hilton, W. (1981) Dance of Court and Theatre. United States of America: Princeton Book Company
Little, M; Jenne, N. (1991) Dance and the Music of J. S. Bach. Bloomington: Indiana University Press
Mather, B. B. (1973) Interpretation of French Music from 1675 to 1775. New York: McGinnis & Marx Music Publishers
Mather, B. B. (1987) Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque: A Handbook for Performance. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press
Spitzer, J; Zaslaw, N. (2005) The Birth of the Orchestra. New York: Oxford University Press Inc
Strunk, O. (1981) Source Readings in Music History: 3. The Baroque Era. London: Faber and Faber Limited
Tarling, J. (2000) Baroque String Playing for Ingenious Learners. St. Albans: Corda Music Publications
Waite, P; Appleby, J. (2003) Beauchamp-Feuillet Notation: A Guide for Beginner and Intermediate Baroque Dance Students. Cardiff: Consort de Danse Baroque
Whitley-Bauguess, P. (2005) Introduction to Baroque Dance [DVD]
Wood, M. (1982) Historical Dances: 12th to 19th Century. London: Dance Books Ltd