Jacob Froberger (jan 1, 1616 – jan 1, 1667)

Description:

A younger contemporary of Schutz, who traveled all of Europe soaking up influences.

Dix suittes de clavessin (Ten Suites for Harpsichord), written in a style that conformed perfectly with the French of the titel page. By century's end, many German composers embraced French styles. Envy of the opulent French court on the part of the many petty German princelings led to the wholesale adoption of French manners by the German aristocracy. French actually became the court language of Germany, and French dancing became an obligatory social grace at the many estates that dotted the German landscape.

With dancing, of course, came music. Demand for French-style dance music and for instruction in composing and playing was so great that by the end of the seventeenth century, a number of German musicians had set themselves up in business writing these pieces.

Froberger helped to establish a standard sutie format that provided the model for others. Bach adopted a specific sequence of four dances--allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue--as the essential sequence in all his suites, which in turn influenced later composers. Some prefaced their suites with preludes, as sometimes Bach did too. The core dances had by his time gone out of actual ballroom use and were now courtly listening music. Their tempos were slowed down, and composers flled them with interesting musical details more intended for listeners than for dancers. The four core dances were chosen for their contrasting tempos, meters, and moods.

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