Bourée from Water Music

Listening Guide

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The English Concert, on period instruments. Trevor Pinnock, conductor.

Composer: George Frideric Handel

Composition: Bourée from Water Music

Date: 1717

Genre: stylized dance movement from a suite

Form: Binary form, AABB, performed here three times; B is twice as long as A

Performing Forces: Baroque orchestra: according to the musical score, 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 oboes, 1 bassoons, 1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cello, and basso continuo (the cellos play the same music as the bassoon)

What we want you to remember about this composition:

  • It's a stylized dance.
  • It's in duple time and starts with a pick up (a note that appears before the first beat of the measure).
  • It has a relatively fast tempo.

Other things to listen for

  • The A section is half the length of the B section; each section is repeated
  • The strings and woodwind instruments alternate taking the lead in this performance
  • The cello, bassoon, and harpsichord make up the basso continuo

Timing

Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture

Text and Form:

Strings, basso continuo, trumpet

Short phrase A of four measures, repeated

A, repeated

Same instruments play an answer phrase B of eight measures with descending motivic sequences

B

Repeated

B

Flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpets, stringsPlay the same A phrase as above

A

Same instruments play the B phrase

B

Repeated

B

Strings, trumpets, flute, oboe bassoon, and basso continuo play the A phrase.

A, repeated

Same instruments play the B phrase.

B

Repeated

B