Baroque Suite
ACSOG
Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Optional - Gigue
Prelude (or other introductory movement): Often free in form to contrast with the dance
movements.
Allemande:
Tempo: Moderate
Meter: Simple duple
Anacrusis: Yes (but with exceptions)
Texture: Polyphonic
Alternative names: Alman, almagne
Courante [Corrente]:
Tempo: Moderate/Fast [Fast]
Meter: Simple triple
Anacrusis: Yes [Yes, but not always]
Texture: Polyphonic [homophonic]
Sarabande:
Tempo: Slow
Meter: Triple, with agogic accent on the second beat
Anacrusis: No
Texture: Simple
Gigue (Giga):
Tempo: Fast
Meter: Compound (usually duple)
Anacrusis: Yes
Texture: Imitative
Optional:
May include such dances/movements as Air, Anglaise, Bourree, Loure Minuet, Musette,
Passapied, Polonaise, Siciliano
Notes: Suites may be of any number of movements, in any order (the above is favored of Bach).
The key usually persists throughout. Forms are usually binary or other small forms, but free
forms and other types of form (such as ostinato and fugue) may be found.