STRINGS DAYS! WORKSHOP: FRENCH SUITES AND OUVERTURES – BAROQUE DANCE AS A KEY TO INTERPRETATION pt.I
Many dance forms originating from the French suite, such as the minuet, gigue, and bourrée, appear in the works of German composers from the first half of the 18th century, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Georg Friedrich Händel. How did the French style of dance, practiced in Germany at the time, influence – or even determine – the shape of their compositions?
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Drawing on musical and choreographic sources from the early 18th century, the workshop will explore the close relationship between movement and music in various dance forms of the suite, using the concepts of cadence and character. These ideas will be applied to selected examples to demonstrate how tempo, accentuation, prosody, ornamentation, expression, and musical momentum can enrich interpretation. The workshop will begin with a short lecture on historical sources, followed by a practical movement session related to musical forms, and will conclude with performances of dance pieces by the participants.
The workshop is intended for pupils and students of music schools and universities who specialise in playing various instruments and have in their repertoire the dances discussed during the classes. Both individual instrumentalists and chamber ensembles can apply for active participation. Active participation requires prior registration by completing the application form available at LINK. The workshop will take place over two days, from 30 to 31 March, and participation requires attendance on both days.
The registration link will be active until 4 March 2026.
Participants will be selected by the workshop leader based on the responses submitted in the application form. If the number of applications exceeds the available places, the order of submissions may also be considered.
At the same time, all other interested participants are warmly invited to attend the workshop as audience members to deepen their understanding of historical performance practice and the relationship between music and movement.
Host: Hubert Hazebroucq
Organizers
