# Baroque - difference between French & other, in a nutshell...



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

My violin teacher keeps saying that French Baroque music is 'different' from the usual Baroque style. When I ask in what way, he says you can just hear it. Well, I can - but I'd still like to know if there's a lucid or pithy way to put it. Any offers gratefully received!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Flautists generally like playing French Baroque from what I have heard.....

I think there's something about ornamentation in French Baroque too.....


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

Basically, French Baroque music is slower, more contrapuntal and more ornamented. If you read about the various baroque dance forms you will usually find that two different types became noticeable during the course of the 17th century. One of them was French and the other was most normally Italian, but usually more widespread. Sometimes the Germans followed the French. In the 18th century things became a little more mixed up - Bach tends to make use of various different types.

These two example should help you see the difference. They are both gigues so both are on the fast side. The first is Couperin, and therefore French, and the second is Handel - who usually follows Italian practice.











Check out some of the gigues from Bach's keyboard partitas. Most of them are basically just fugues - very much in the French tradition.


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

While I'm about it, here is a non-French (Italian) gigue also by JS Bach.






This post was a lot longer than I intended it to be (and indeed there are 2 since there seems to be a new limit of 3 videos per post), but hopefully with all the different examples about how the different traditions treated only a single genre you will get the picture.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Wikipedia 'Baroque' nutshell...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_music


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Thanks, ComposerOfAvantGarde.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

And thanks, Ramako, and also Vaneyes, for the trouble you have taken and the links supplied. I'll study them in a bit more detail over the weekend - have just got in from Scottish Dancing & have my violin lesson tomorrow! But I love these composers & it's so nice to have this resource. Have a great weekend, both of you!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Also, French Baroque motets don't break the pieces into sections, like when the text starts a new thought; it all flows together without a break. Plus, they're fun to hear.


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