Loure

Baroque works

Definition

A stately Baroque dance in slow 6/4 time, characterized by dotted rhythms and a lilting, dignified quality. It appears as an optional movement in French Baroque suites.

Historical Context

The loure originated as a type of French bagpipe before becoming a courtly dance form. In keyboard music it is most famously represented by Bach's Loure from the Fifth French Suite (BWV 816), which features its characteristic dotted-rhythm pattern within a slow compound meter.

Works (1)

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