Zum Spielen und zum Tantzen
Despite more than four decades of progress in musicology and Historically Informed Performance practice, the dance titles of J.S. Bach’s cello suites—such as Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue—which originate from French court dance, continue to perplex both cellists and audiences.
For Bach, these titles signified more than abstract references. During his era, dance practice was integral to social life, and musicians required a thorough understanding of contemporary dance forms. The movements and gestures inherent in these dances significantly influenced performance style.
Between 2009 and 2013, as a doctoral fellow at the Norwegian Academy of Music within the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme, I undertook a research project titled ‘Zum Spielen und zum Tantzen: a Kinaesthetic Exploration of the Bach Cello Suites through Studies in Baroque Choreography.’ The objective was to examine how sustained practice of baroque dance would inform my interpretation of the Bach Suites. By physically learning the essential movements of this dance style and studying original choreographies with leading experts, I further investigated the dance elements of the cello suites through experiments involving historical tempos and melodic and rhythmic reductions.
The outcomes of the project—a dance performance titled ‘Inspired by Dance,’ a recording of the first three Bach Cello Suites, and an accompanying written thesis—provide a recontextualization of Bach’s work that highlights the close relationship between the expressive gestures of music and dance.
A condensed version of my project report, with accompanying audio and video material, was published in the Journal for Artistic Research Issue 11 (November 2016).