"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]
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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[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]
The Rigaudon
Fig. 33 from Le Maître à Danser by Pierre Rameau (1725)
“Its character consists of a somewhat trifling joking…besides, the rigaudon is really a mongrel, joined together from the gavotte and bourrée.”
Mattheson (1739) [1]
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The rigaudon derives from the southern French provinces where it was a folk dance performed by sailors and peasants.[2] The dance soon became popular at the royal courts across Europe and was first performed by couples at French balls in the 1670s. Rigaudons were widely featured as a theatrical dance in operas and ballets from the 1690s and made many appearances within instrumental suites. The dance is generally compared with the bourrée, which is very similar and often ‘virtually indistinguishable musically and choreographically.’[3]
Like the bourrée, the rigaudon is a joyful, light, and lively dance which should be ‘executed gaily.’[4] The dance takes a very quick tempo, with pendulum markings suggesting a speed of 116-152 per minim beat, with a brisk pulse of 2 beats per bar. When performed as a pair of rigaudons, the second may be a little faster than the first.[5] Written in binary form and in a duple metre of 2 or cut time, both sections are repeated, although its uncommon for ornamentation to occur on the repeats. Phrases are 4 bars in length and feature an upbeat, enabling an epitrite rhythm to occur. Associated with Greek syllabic patterns in speech and poetry, the epitrite contains three long syllables and a short one.[6] Ex. 1 demonstrates how this rhythmic pattern is applied to music, and specifically rigaudons, whereby the short syllable forms the upbeat ahead of a succession of long syllables (the minim pulse). The hierarchy of beats is most important therefore musicians should give a stronger articulation to downbeats, lift the upbeats, and play the remainder detached, with a ‘short and light bow stroke.’[7]
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Ex. 1 First section of Rigaudon from Sixieme Suite by A. D. Philidor
Rigaudon choreographies contain many hopping and springing steps which replicate the lively and light energy musicians should aim for when accompanying. Frequently performed by couples at balls, dancers make use of fast-moving formations and continuous step sequences which features the pas de rigaudon, a step unit where the dancer springs onto the left leg whilst quickly drawing the right out to the side, then repeats on the other leg by bringing the right leg back in and springing on it whilst drawing the left leg out to the side.
Listen
Rigaudon from Sixiéme Suitte, Op. 1 (1717)
Pierre Danican-Philidor
Baroque Flute - Beth Toulson
Harpsichord - Martin Perkins
[1] Mattheson, J. (1981) Der vollkommene Capellmeister. [Translated E. C. Harriss]
[2] Mattheson, J. (1981) Der vollkommene Capellmeister. [Translated E. C. Harriss]
[3] Hilton, W. (1981) Dance of Court and Theatre
[4] Quantz, J. (2001) On Playing the Flute. [Translated E. R. Reilly]
[5] Mather, B. B. (1987) Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque
[6] Mather, B. B. (1987) Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque
[7] Quantz, J. (2001) On Playing the Flute. [Translated E. R. Reilly]