What makes the Menuets from Bach's English Suite No. 4 a perfect example of Baroque dance suites? Learn!
Who's behind the notes? Discover Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of Baroque Music
The English Suites, BWV 806–811, are a set of six suites written by Johann Sebastian Bach for harpsichord. The Suite No. 4 in F major, BWV 809, follows the standard Baroque suite structure, beginning with a Prelude and followed by the classic dance movements: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue. The suite also includes an additional pair of Menuets between the Sarabande and Gigue, a common practice. The Menuets are elegant, contrasting dances—Menuet I is stately and in the tonic key (F major), while Menuet II provides a lighter contrast, often in a related key.