1. Allemande: A moderate-tempo dance in duple meter, characterized by a stately and dignified character.
2. Courante: A lively dance in triple meter, often with a running or flowing quality.
3. Sarabande: A slow, stately dance in triple meter, known for its emotional expressiveness and graceful movements.
4. Gigue: A lively, fast-paced dance in duple or compound meter, often featuring rapid and intricate passages.
5. Other Dances: Additional dances could be included in a suite, such as the gavotte, minuet, bourrée, and passepied.
The individual movements of a suite were usually related in terms of key and tonality, often beginning in a major key and progressing through a series of closely related keys. Each dance movement had its own distinct tempo, rhythm, and character, providing variety and contrast within the suite.
The concept of the Baroque suite originated during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, gaining popularity in the courtly circles of Europe. Some notable composers who contributed to the development of the Baroque suite include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and François Couperin. These composers created elaborate and virtuosic suites, showcasing their compositional skills and instrumental mastery.
The Baroque suite became a prominent genre in the instrumental music of the time and played an important role in the evolution of Western classical music. It paved the way for later developments in the genre, such as the orchestral suite and the partita, and influenced composers in subsequent eras.