top of page

Introduction to J.S. Bach's English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807 – An Exemplar of Baroque Music

Updated: Feb 26, 2021

Greetings! I am Manh Duc from the NUS Piano Ensemble content team and I am excited to bring you a new feature piece series, Piano Through the Ages, where we take a deeper look at selected pieces of classical piano music through history, explaining some musical traits as well as historical context behind some of these musical masterpieces.


First of our feature pieces is the English Suite, No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750). J.S. Bach was one of the leading composers of the Baroque era (generally agreed to span approximately 1600-1750) and commonly considered one of the earliest and most prominent founding fathers of classical music as we know it today. His works contain immense aesthetic and pedagogical value, and are still actively enjoyed by millions of music-lovers.


Bach at the organ, circa. 1725 (Source: Getty Images)


Bach's English Suites are played frequently in the standard piano/harpsichord repertoire and are featured often in movies, television, and theatre. A most notable film appearance of Bach’s second English Suite is in the 1993 film Schindler's List - during a chilling scene when a Nazi Germany officer played the Prelude while the rest of the SS officers massacred Jewish residents for refusing to relocate to concentration camps. Through its inclusion in the film, the English Suite has since been associated with the accomplished and sophisticated German civilization, juxtaposed with the horror of the Holocaust instigated by the very same German people. Tempting as it may be to delve into an analysis of Schindler's List at this juncture, I instead turn my attention to the musical work itself, an exemplar of 18th-century Baroque music and a monument of Bach's ingenuity.


What is a Baroque Suite? It is a set of instrumental dances written usually for solo keyboard, consisting of 5 to 6 different dances mapping into a central theme and musical key. Preceding the dance set is usually an introductory Prelude. While Suites are conventionally a set of dances, most of them were not really written to be danced to. Rather, they are expressive imitations and impressions of the various forms of European folk and court dances at the period.


Bach wrote numerous Suites for the harpsichord, violin, cello, and many other instruments, and these works are often considered the most complicated and applauded works of Bach himself. Notably, the English Suite No. 2 in A minor was originally written for harpsichord, but modern interpretations (such as that by Robert Levin or Ivo Pogolerich) are performed on modern piano. It is obviously not my place to assert which of the interpretations is/are superior; the aforementioned interpretations demonstrate unique understandings of Bach's intention in the English Suite and are excellent one way or another. Nonetheless, I personally would highly recommend Robert Levin's interpretation of Bach's English Suite and encourage you to listen to it while following along.


The Suite begins with a fast-tempo, fiery, energetic Prelude. Preludes are often introductions to extended works - mostly in two voices, sometimes three. Preludes often resemble Bach's Inventions in form, and this movement is not an exception. Repetition of the central theme (ie. 25:47 or 27:32 in Levin's performance) exists throughout the Prelude, in either the primary or secondary voice. Bach's innovation persists throughout the Prelude in various beautiful thematic variations and transitions.


Following the introductory Prelude is the Allemande, which originated as a German court dance. The slower tempo starks a contrast to the fast introduction previously. This movement has the most contrapuntal - that there are four voices playing independently and simultaneously - qualities while itself being a dance, as it bears a strong stylistic resemblance to a traditional Bach fugue.


The third movement of the suite is the Courante, a shorter court dance to the rest of the work. This Courante has a quicker tempo compared to a typical Baroque Courante, which may imply an Italian influence.


The fourth movement, Sarabande, is slow and emotional. Sarabande is a Spanish-originated court dance, likely influenced by Spanish melodies. An interpretation of the emotion evoked through this movement can be considered one of grief and melancholy. Striking the listener to be the most lyrical movement of the Suite, its hint of sadness is often unconventional for a dance, which is usually more cheerful.


Following up is the charming Bourree, with a (albeit slight) sense of majesty expected of a court dance, moderately fast tempo, and cyclical structure. The intermediate, which is often referred to as a separate Bourree movement to the precedent, is grand. A listener could possibly imagine a ballroom full of 18th-century nobles greeting each other and dancing.


The Suite concludes with a lively Gigue, with a folk-like melody, reminiscent of the Renaissance era in classical music. The Gigue is the only movement with a strong English influence, as demonstrated in the folk-like theme and cheery tone, typical traits of English folk music. One who listens to this movement could possibly envision a typical Renaissance fair in the past, where people celebrate and dance together jubilantly.


Now that we have looked at all six movements, an important question is: why ‘English’ then? Whether this set of dances can be considered ‘English’ is actually highly debatable as musicologists often contend that the Suite is not 'English' in its quality. After all, the Suite consists of 6 different dances with thematic influences from the various regions across Europe, including an English folk melody, a Spanish dance, a French dance, and an Italian dance written with German musical influences. A likely explanation for the ‘English’ titling is merely that Bach wrote the piece for his English patron(s), whose identity has remained undisclosed. Rather than dwelling upon the debate of how 'English' the work is, I believe that it is more importantly, a demonstration of Bach's sophisticated understanding of musical cultures throughout Europe and his mastery of the various forms of music at the period.


That concludes our very first featured piece of the series! Let us know if you liked the article, if you have any feedback for us or if you’d simply like to get in touch by dropping us an email at nus.pianoensemble@gmail.com. Also, if you are a fan of classical music, why not stick around and keep an eye out for NUS Piano Ensemble’s upcoming flagship concert, TOUCH on 15 May 2021? Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so that you won’t miss it!


- Manh Duc

bottom of page