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 between 1708 and 1717. The piece is arguably one of the most famous among guitarists.[1]

A bourrée was a type of dance that originated in France with quick duple meter and an upbeat.[2] 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.[2] Nonetheless, some of the elements of the dance are incorporated in the piece.[2]

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.[2] No original script of the Suite in E minor for Lute by Bach is known to exist.[3] 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.[3] Some argue that despite this reference, the piece was meant to be played on the lute as demonstrated by the texture.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] The tempo of the piece is fairly quick and smooth. It also demonstrates counterpoint, as the two voices move independently of one another.[1] Furthermore, the Bourrée in E minor demonstrates binary form.[6]

Lute Suite No,. 1 - BWV 996, E Minor - V Bourrée

Performed on a lautenwerck by Martha Goldstein

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J.S. Bach "Bourrée in E minor" (BWV 996)

Performed on an organ

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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.

Jethro Tull version

Jethro Tull used the first part (first eight bars) of the piece in the third track in their August 1969 album Stand Up, "Bourée",[9] which was also released as a single that year. Alternative versions of the same track appear on The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, A Little Light Music and the 25th Anniversary Box Set and is a band favorite for live concerts. In April 2011, a portion of this was also played as a duet by Cady Coleman from the ISS and Ian Anderson on tour in Perm, Russia.[10]

In popular culture

The piece has been used by a number of musicians:

• Bola Sete covered the composition on his album Tour de Force from 1964
• 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.[11]
• 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.
• Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin occasionally incorporated the opening melody of the piece into live performances of the song "Heartbreaker", during the song's guitar solo.[12]
• Tenacious D used it for their songs, "Rock Your Socks" and "Classico", which was played in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.[13]
• Yngwie Malmsteen has also been known to integrate this, among other works by Bach, into his live sets.[14][1]
• Leo Kottke performs "Bouree" on the album Mudlark.[1]
• 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".
• Blues Saraceno does a cover of the piece on his 1994 Album Hairpick.
• Gabrielle McCarthy led the Flying Luttenbachers in a secret exhibition performance of a modern variant at Constellation Jazz Club in 2019.

See also

• List of compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach

References

External links

• Lute Pieces, BWV 995-1000: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Sheet Music
• Sheet Music from Mutopia
• Guitar Information
• The Origin of Jethro Tull's Bourrée