Product Description
Suite in D Minor
The Baroque period in music lasted from approximately the end of the sixteenth century to about the middle of the eighteenth, culminating most famously in the works of Bach and Handel. The suite was a short collection of stylised dance tunes, sometimes (but not here) preceded by a prelude. The suite typically comprised the dances allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, to which others may be added. I have added a bourrée and a minuet.
Although this is arranged for two mandolins, other instruments can of course be used. I have added a line of mandolin tablature for those who dont read standard notation. (Actually, I dont read tablature myself I used my favourite notation program, Harmony Assistant, to write the score, and it very kindly created the tablature for me!)
As a performer of mostly traditional folk tunes, I am driven first by melody, then rhythm, and only then by harmony. For each of these pieces, the melody came first, keeping to the strict rhythmic imperatives of each dance form. Only then were counterpoints added.
In this score, the only dance to be repeated is the minuet. Here, the first time through is played on a single mandolin, with rather a lot of double stopping. On the second time through the first mandolin sticks to the basic melody, while the second mandolin plays a counterpoint.
Some may recognise the opening bar of the bourrée; it was inspired by a tune by Turlough Ó Carolan (1670-1738) entitled The Princess Royal. The rest, however, is mine!
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