The sarabande is an old dance that became one of the four obligatory movements of the classical Baroque suite. Although in its time, having reached Europe through Spain, the sarabande was a lively and even boisterous dance, it later turned into a slow, solemn, and dignified piece.
The sarabande is characterised by triple meter, an unhurried tempo, and a special rhythmic feature — an accent on the second beat of the bar, which gives the music a feeling of dignified, concentrated stateliness. In the suite the sarabande is usually the lyrical, contemplative centre of the cycle, placed between the lively courante and the rapid gigue. Unsurpassed models of the genre were created by Johann Sebastian Bach: his sarabandes are deep, almost meditative reflections, among the most moving pages of Baroque music.
