- Allemande
An allemande (also spelled allemanda, almain, or alman) (from the French word for "German") is one of the most popular
instrumental dance forms inBaroque music , and a standard element of asuite . Originally, the allemande formed the first movement of the suite, before thecourante , but, later, it was generally preceded by an introductory movement, such as a prelude.The allemande originated in the 16th century (Renaissance) as a duple metre dance of moderate tempo, derived from dances supposed to be favoured in
Germany at the time. No German dance instructions from this era survive, but 16th century French (Arbeau) and British (Inns of Court) dance manuals for the Almain do survive. In general the dancers formed a line of couples, extended their paired hands forward, and paraded back and forth the length of the room, walking three steps, then balancing on one foot; a livelier version, the "allemande courante", used three springing steps and a hop. [cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9005783|title=Allemande|author= Encyclopædia Britannica Online|date=2007|accessdate=2007-11-11]French composers of the 17th century experimented with the allemande, shifting to quadruple meter and ranging more widely in tempo. The form of the allemande was used for the
tombeau . Other identifying features include an upbeat of one or occasionally three sixteenth notes [Bach. "The French Suites: Embellished version". Barenreiter Urtext] , the absence ofsyncopation , its combination of short motivic scraps into larger units, and its tonal and motivic contrasts. German composers like Froberger and Bach followed suit in their allemandes forkeyboard instrument s, although ensemble allemandes tended to stay in a more traditional form. Italian and English composers were more free with the allemande, writing in counterpoint and using a variety of tempi (Corelli wrote allemandes ranging from "largo" to "presto").The allemande was traditionally regarded as a rather serious dance; in his "Musicalisches Lexicon" (Leipzig, 1732), Johann Gottfried Walther wrote that the allemande "must be composed and likewise danced in a grave and ceremonious manner." Likewise, in "Der Vollkommene Capellmeister" (Hamburg, 1739), Johann Mattheson described the allemande as "a serious and well-composed harmoniousness in arpeggiated style, expressing satisfaction or amusement, and delighting in order and calm" [Bach. "The French Suites: Embellished version". Barenreiter Urtext]
Late in the 18th century, "allemande" came to be used for a new type of dance in triple meter; Weber's "Douze allemande" op. 4 of 1801 anticipates the
waltz . Additionally some of the close embraces and turns of the original Allemande were carried over toSquare Dance and Contra Dance, with the moves "Allemande left" and "Allemande right", (often spelled "Alamand") in which couples hold hands and turn around each other.References
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