What is a suite?
Q: What is a suite?
A: A suite is a collection of short musical pieces which can be played one after another. The pieces are usually dance movements.
Q: What does the French word “suite” mean?
A: The French word “suite” means “a sequence” of things, i.e. one thing following another.
Q: Who wrote suites in the 17th century?
A: In the 17th century many composers such as Bach and Handel wrote suites.
Q: What type of dances were usually included in these suites?
A: These suites were collections of dances, usually an allemande, a courante, a sarabande and a gigue. Sometimes other dances such as minuet, gavotte, passepied or bourree were also included.
Q: Did all suites include dance movements?
A: No, some suites did not include dance movements but rather an introduction which may have been called a prelude or even overture.
Q: When did composers stop writing suites?
A: By the 1750s composers had stopped writing suites and became more interested in symphonies and concertos instead.
Q: When was the term "suite" used again by composers?
A: In the late 19th century, the word "suite" started to be used again by composers who had written opera's or ballets with lots of popular dance movements that they wanted to arrange for orchestra so it could be played at concerts.
