Sarabande And Gigue

Question 1

Describe the Texture of Sarabande and Gigue: (6)

Answer 1

Sarabande:
-Almost entirely 2 part writing
-RH has melody, LH supports
-Melody Dominated Homophony, but monophonic in bar 2
Gigue:
-Mainly 3 part with some fugal textures
-Opening 6 bars= monophonic (shows fugal subject)
-2nd section begins monophonically with new fugue in LH

Question 2

What is the Context and Forces behind Sarabande and Gigue? (5)

Answer 2

• Composed by JS Bach in 1728
• Sarabande 5/7, Gigue 7/7 movements
• Dances from the Baroque era
• Originally composed for harpsichord (not piano)
• Fugal writing in parts of the Gigue

Question 3

What is the Structure like in Sarabande and Gigue? (4)

Answer 3

• Rounded binary form (S)
• Binary form (G)
• Section A ends in dominant, Section B returns to the tonic with reference to Section A
• Normal binary (G)
• Fugal elements in Gigue
• Rhyming endings, A: Dominant B: Tonic

Question 4

Describe the Harmony and Tonality of Sarabande and Gigue: (6)

Answer 4

-Maj/Min tonality with modulations to closely related keys
-Functional and diatonic harmony
-All sections of S+G end with perfect cadences
Chords are mainly broken and arpeggiated (G)
-7th chords are common- broken dom7th in A maj (8) (S)
-Suspensions: (75+77) (G)
-All sections end with perfect cadences

Question 5

Describe the Melody in Sarabande and Gigue: (4)

Answer 5

• Conjunct in Sarabande
• Disjunct in Gigue
• Frequent use of sequence= second phrase of (G) 3-4 and bar 32 of (S)
• Fortspinnung in 1st bar of sarabande

Question 6

What is the Rhythm and Metre of Sarabande and Gigue? (5)

Answer 6

• Simple triple time: slow (S) fast (G)
• Characteristic emphasis on 2nd beat of bar (S)
• Syncopation: quavers beginning off beat (S)
• Passages of continuous quavers in LH (3-4).
• Almost continuous semiquaver movement (G)