Johann Sebastian Bach

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814

c. 1722–1723

[Wikipedia] · [IMSLP page 1] · [IMSLP page 2]

Total duration: 15'

1. Allemande
2. Courante
3. Sarabande
4. Gavotte
5. Menuet – Trio – Menuet
Menuet – Trio – Menuet (variant version)
6. Gigue

The French Suites (BWV 812–817) exist in two primary versions: the first (BWV³ 812.1–817.1; denoted A in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe) captured in a copy by Johann Christoph Altnickol, and the second (BWV³ 812.2–817.2; denoted B in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe) incorporating various later readings. The versions are broadly similar except for the more elaborate ornamentation in B, although it should be noted that, since B originates from multiple sources, not all its ornamentation need be observed concurrently.

The Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach also contain copies of the French suites; the 1722 notebook is similar to, but not exactly the same as, version A, whilst the 1725 notebook is captured in version B.

Further, the third (BWV 814) and fourth (BWV 815) suites exist in variant versions (BWV^2,2a 814a and 815a; BWV³ 814.3 and 815.3) that might not be by Bach.

Throughout these pages, given the similarity between the versions, only version A is given, except in those cases where the movements are fundamentally different between versions.

Recommended editions

Neue Bach-Ausgabe (Bärenreiter) · V, 4 · BA 5008-01 · Die Klavierbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach von 1722 und 1725 · ed. Georg van Dadelsen [version from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach]
Neue Bach-Ausgabe (Bärenreiter) · V, 8 · BA 5053-01 · Die sechs Französischen Suiten / Zwei Suiten a-Moll und Es-Dur · ed. Alfred Dürr [versions A, B and variant version]
Associated Board · French Suites · ed. Richard Jones
Bärenreiter · BA 5219 · Die sechs Französischen Suiten / Zwei Suiten a-Moll und Es-Dur · ed. Alfred Dürr [versions A, B and variant version]
Bärenreiter · BA 5166 · Französischen Suiten / Die verzierte Fassung · ed. Alfred Dürr [version B]
Henle · HN 593 · Französische Suiten · ed. Ullrich Scheideler [including trio of variant version]
Henle · HN 594 · Französische Suiten · ed. Ullrich Scheideler [including trio of variant version]
Henle · HN 1593 · Französische Suiten · ed. Ullrich Scheideler [including trio of variant version]
Peters · EP 11443 · Französische Suiten / Französische Ouvertüre · ed. Ulrich Bartels
Peters · EP 11500 · Die Clavier-Büchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach / 1722 & 1725 · ed. Christoph Wolff [version from the 1722 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach]
Wiener Urtext · UT 50048 · Französische Suiten · ed. Hans-Christian Müller

1. Allemande

Duration: 3'

Difficulty: 2

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 1. Allemande

2. Courante

Duration: 2'

Difficulty: 2

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 2. Courante

3. Sarabande

Duration: 3'

Difficulty: 2

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 3. Sarabande

4. Gavotte

In version B, this movement is titled an Anglaise.

Duration: 1' 30"

Difficulty: 2

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 4. Gavotte

5. Menuet – Trio – Menuet

In version B, the menuet and trio are titled Menuet I and Menuet II respectively.

Duration: 3' 30"

Difficulty: 1.5

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 5. Menuet – Trio – Menuet

Menuet – Trio – Menuet (variant version)

The variant version of the suite (BWV^2,2a 814a; BWV³ 814.3), which is possibly spurious, includes a transposed version of the prelude in G minor (BWV 929) as the trio of this movement.

Duration: 3' 30"

Difficulty: 1.5

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; Menuet – Trio – Menuet (variant version)

6. Gigue

Duration: 2'

Difficulty: 2.5

French Suite no. 3 in B minor, BWV 814; 6. Gigue