Bourrée
Encyclopedia
The bourrée is a dance
of French origin common in Auvergne
and Biscay
in Spain
in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time
, somewhat resembling the gavotte
. The main difference between the two is the anacrusis
, or upbeat; a bourrée starts on the last beat of a bar, creating a quarter-bar anacrusis, whereas a gavotte has a half-bar anacrusis. It often has a dactylic
rhythm. In his Der Vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739), Johann Mattheson wrote of the bourrée, "its distinguishing feature resides in contentment and a pleasant demeanor, at the same time it is somewhat carefree and relaxed, a little indolent and easygoing, though not disagreeable".
Composers such as J.S. Bach
, Handel
, and Chopin
used the musical form of the bourrée. The dance survives to this day in the Auvergne and has been successfully "exported" to the UK and other countries. The bourrée of lower Auvergne, also called Montagnarde, is in triple time, while that of high Auvergne is in double time.
. It is danced primarily in the Massif Central
and in the department of Ariège
. By extension, the songs to which the borrèia is danced are also called borrèias. Also called Montanhardas or Auvernhatas, they are in 2/4 or 3/4 time. The borrèia likely originated as a courtly dance; written references to the dance date to the 17th century. The first mention of the borrèia as a popular dance is found in a 1665 writing by Clermont-Ferrand
.
but before the gigue
, and he also wrote two short bourrées in his Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
. Handel wrote several bourrées in his solo chamber sonatas (for example the fourth movement of his Oboe sonata in C minor
); however, perhaps the best-known example of a bourrée is the seventh movement of the Water Music
(Handel) suite. In the 19th Century, composers such as Frédéric Chopin and the Auvergne-born Emmanuel Chabrier
wrote bourrées for the piano (such as the latter's Bourrée fantasque
, composed 1891). The Victorian English composer, Sir Hubert Parry
included a bourrée in his Lady Radnor Suite (1894). Another famous bourrée is part of Michael Praetorius
's The Dances of Terpsichore.
The bourrée is also a ballet step consisting of a rapid movement of the feet while en pointe
or demi-pointe. A pas-de-bourrée consists of bending both legs, extending one, then stepping up, up, down, finishing with bent knees. It is more commonly known as the 'behind side front' or 'back side front'. A pas-de-bourrée-piqué picks up the feet in between steps.
The live form of the dance (and the music associated) is still danced during bal folks, in France, and in other countries.
and rock music
bands. A few examples include:
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
of French origin common in Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
and Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time
Metre (music)
Meter or metre is a term that music has inherited from the rhythmic element of poetry where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in each line and the arrangement of those syllables as long or short, accented or unaccented...
, somewhat resembling the gavotte
Gavotte
The gavotte originated as a French folk dance, taking its name from the Gavot people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné, where the dance originated. It is notated in 4/4 or 2/2 time and is of moderate tempo...
. The main difference between the two is the anacrusis
Anacrusis
In poetry, an anacrusis is the lead-in syllables, collectively, that precede the first full measure.In music, it is the note or sequence of notes which precedes the first downbeat in a bar. In the latter sense an anacrusis is often called a pickup, pickup note, or pickup measure, referring to the...
, or upbeat; a bourrée starts on the last beat of a bar, creating a quarter-bar anacrusis, whereas a gavotte has a half-bar anacrusis. It often has a dactylic
Dactyl (poetry)
A dactyl is a foot in meter in poetry. In quantitative verse, such as Greek or Latin, a dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short syllables, as determined by syllable weight...
rhythm. In his Der Vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739), Johann Mattheson wrote of the bourrée, "its distinguishing feature resides in contentment and a pleasant demeanor, at the same time it is somewhat carefree and relaxed, a little indolent and easygoing, though not disagreeable".
Composers such as J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
, and Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
used the musical form of the bourrée. The dance survives to this day in the Auvergne and has been successfully "exported" to the UK and other countries. The bourrée of lower Auvergne, also called Montagnarde, is in triple time, while that of high Auvergne is in double time.
The borrèia
The borrèia is a traditional dance common in OccitaniaOccitania
Occitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
. It is danced primarily in the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
and in the department of Ariège
Ariège
Ariège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
. By extension, the songs to which the borrèia is danced are also called borrèias. Also called Montanhardas or Auvernhatas, they are in 2/4 or 3/4 time. The borrèia likely originated as a courtly dance; written references to the dance date to the 17th century. The first mention of the borrèia as a popular dance is found in a 1665 writing by Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
.
History and usage
Johann Sebastian Bach often used the bourrée in his suites as one of the optional dance movements that come after the sarabandeSarabande
In music, the sarabande is a dance in triple metre. The second and third beats of each measure are often tied, giving the dance a distinctive rhythm of quarter notes and eighth notes in alternation...
but before the gigue
Gigue
The gigue or giga is a lively baroque dance originating from the British jig. It was imported into France in the mid-17th century and usually appears at the end of a suite...
, and he also wrote two short bourrées in his Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
The title Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach refers to either of two manuscript notebooks that the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife Anna Magdalena...
. Handel wrote several bourrées in his solo chamber sonatas (for example the fourth movement of his Oboe sonata in C minor
Oboe sonata in C minor (HWV 366)
The Oboe sonata in C minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for oboe and keyboard . The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 8, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh...
); however, perhaps the best-known example of a bourrée is the seventh movement of the Water Music
Water Music (Handel)
The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements, often considered three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717 after King George I had requested a concert on the River Thames...
(Handel) suite. In the 19th Century, composers such as Frédéric Chopin and the Auvergne-born Emmanuel Chabrier
Emmanuel Chabrier
Emmanuel Chabrier was a French Romantic composer and pianist. Although known primarily for two of his orchestral works, España and Joyeuse marche, he left an important corpus of operas , songs, and piano music as well...
wrote bourrées for the piano (such as the latter's Bourrée fantasque
Bourrée fantasque
Bourrée fantasque is a piece of music for solo piano by Emmanuel Chabrier , being one of his last major completed works.-Background:...
, composed 1891). The Victorian English composer, Sir Hubert Parry
Hubert Parry
Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet was an English composer, teacher and historian of music.Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is best known for the choral song "Jerusalem", the coronation anthem "I was glad" and the hymn tune "Repton", which sets the words...
included a bourrée in his Lady Radnor Suite (1894). Another famous bourrée is part of Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
's The Dances of Terpsichore.
The bourrée is also a ballet step consisting of a rapid movement of the feet while en pointe
En pointe
En pointe means "on the tip" and is a part of classical ballet technique, usually practised using specially reinforced shoes called pointe shoes or toe shoes. The technique developed from the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and has evolved to enable dancers to dance on the...
or demi-pointe. A pas-de-bourrée consists of bending both legs, extending one, then stepping up, up, down, finishing with bent knees. It is more commonly known as the 'behind side front' or 'back side front'. A pas-de-bourrée-piqué picks up the feet in between steps.
The live form of the dance (and the music associated) is still danced during bal folks, in France, and in other countries.
The Bourrée in popular music
The Bourrée has been utilized as a form by a number of popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands. A few examples include:
- The American Rock Music group The Fifth Estate (band)The Fifth Estate (band)The Fifth Estate was a rock and roll band, originally formed in Stamford, Connecticut as The D-Men in early 1964.-Early years :...
released the all-time highest chart position version of any Wizard of Oz song by any performer ("Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead"), to which they added a central section consisting of The Bouree, of Michael Praetorius from Dances Terpsichore. It was released as a single which went GOLD and then was further released in 4 other languages around the world and followed by an album, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead, on Jubilee Records in America in 1967. (JGS 8005 / 1967) Also, then on EMI the same year in England and Europe. - The London Blues-rock group BakerlooBakerloo (Blues Line)Bakerloo was an English heavy blues-rock trio, established by Staffordshire guitarist David "Clem" Clempson, Terry Poole and others in the late 1960s, at the high point of the influence of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream...
released their arrangement of the J.S. Bach tune Bourrée in E minorBourrée in E minorBourrée in E minor is a popular lute piece, the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute, BWV 996 written by Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece is arguably one of the most famous pieces among guitarists....
as a single, titled "Drivin' Bachwards", on Harvest RecordsHarvest Records-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
(HAR 5004) in July 1969. The same recording appeared on their self-titled debut album (Harvest SHVL 762) the following December. - The progressive-rock band Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
included an instrumental track inspired by Bach's Bourrée in E minor on their August 1969 album Stand UpStand Up (Jethro Tull album)2010 Deluxe EditionCD 1: Stand Up# "A New Day Yesterday" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Bourée" [2001 Digital Remaster]# "Back to the Family" [2001 Digital Remaster]...
.http://www.cupofwonder.com/standup2.html#bach - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
of Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
often played the opening section of Bourrée in E minor as part of the solo of a live performance of Heartbreaker - Rock band Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
plays a short rendition of Bourrée in E minor in the track "Rock Your Socks" on their eponymous album and on the track Classico on their second album. - Rock guitarist Blues SaracenoBlues SaracenoBlues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis...
plays a jazz version of Bourrée in E minor in the beginning and end of the track "Bouree" on his third album, Hairpick.
External links
- Para saber más de borrèias y escuchar fragmentos (en francés y occitano)
- Algunas partituras de borrèia (en occitano)