Harman Patil (Editor)

Bourrée in E minor

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Released
  
1 August 1969

Label
  
Island, Reprise

Length
  
3:46

Bourrée in E minor

Recorded
  
April 1969 at Morgan Studios, London

Genre
  
Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Progressive rock

Writer(s)
  
J.S. Bach, arr. Ian Anderson

Bourrée in E minor is a popular lute piece, the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute, BWV 996 (BC L166) written by Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece is arguably one of the most famous pieces among guitarists.

Contents

A bourrée was a type of dance that originated in France with quick duple meter and an upbeat. Though the bourrée was popular as a social dance and shown in theatrical ballets during the reign of Louis XIV of France, the Bourrée in E minor was not intended for dancing. Nonetheless, some of the elements of the dance are incorporated in the piece.

Bach wrote his lute pieces in a traditional score rather than in lute tablature, and some believe that Bach played his lute pieces on the keyboard. No original script of the Suite in E minor for Lute by Bach is known to exist. However, in the collection of one of Bach's pupils, Johann Ludwig Krebs, there is one piece ("Praeludio – con la Suite da Gio: Bast. Bach") that has written "aufs Lauten Werck" ("for the lute-harpsichord") in unidentified handwriting. Some argue that despite this reference, the piece was meant to be played on the lute as demonstrated by the texture. Others argue that since the piece was written in E minor, it would be incompatible with the baroque lute which was tuned to D minor. Nevertheless, it may be played with other string instruments, such as the guitar, mandola or mandocello, and keyboard instruments, and it is especially well-known among guitarists. The tempo of the piece should be fairly quick and smooth, since it was written to be a dance. It also demonstrates counterpoint, as the two voices move independently of one another. Furthermore, the Bourrée in E minor demonstrates binary form.

In classical music

Robert Schumann quotes the first 14 notes of this memorable theme (transposed to G minor) in #3 of the Op. 60, 6 Fugues on B–A–C–H, where he neatly combines it with the B♭ A C B motif. There also appears to be an echo of this reference in the next fugue, #4.

The piece has been used by a number of musicians:

  • Paul McCartney has said in interviews and on tours that the songs "Blackbird" and "Jenny Wren" were both inspired by variations and alterations to the bourrée.
  • The London Blues-rock group Bakerloo released their arrangement of the tune, titled "Drivin' Bachwards", as a single on Harvest Records (HAR 5004) in July 1969. The same recording appeared on their self-titled debut album (Harvest SHVL 762) the following December.
  • Jethro Tull used the piece in the third track in their August 1969 album Stand Up, "Bourée". Alternative versions of the same track appear on The Jethro Tull Christmas Album and A Little Light Music and is a band favorite for live concerts.
  • Led Zeppelin has used this piece in live performances while playing "Heartbreaker".
  • Tenacious D used it for their songs, "Rock Your Socks" and "Classico", which was played in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
  • Yngwie Malmsteen has also been known to integrate this, among other works by Bach, into his live sets.
  • Leo Kottke performs "Bouree" on the album Mudlark.
  • Lenny Breau re-harmonized this piece and recorded it on the album Minors Aloud under the title "On a Bach Bouree".
  • Alter Bridge used this riff as the chorus to "Wayward One", the closing track of their 2007 album Blackbird.
  • Jam-80 a short-lived Icelandic band featuring Björk recorded it on a demo cassette.
  • It has been adapted for the Commodore 64 version of Black Lamp.
  • Blizzard composer Glenn Stafford used it in the soundtrack for Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness in the second half of the song titled "Human 2".

    • References

    Bourrée in E minor Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA