From the Baroque Dance Suite to the High Classical Symphony

The origin of the Classical symphony has long been a mystery. The Baroque dance suite and the concerto were popular musical forms in the 17supth/sup century and early 18supth/sup century, both consisting of collections of shorter musical pieces. Those who listen to classical music are left to wonder whether the Classical symphony arose spontaneously, or rather grew organically from pre-existing musical forms. We chose to compare the new musical form, the Classical symphony, with the pre-existing musical forms. Using quantitative methods, we propose a tentative explanation for the origin of the Classical symphony in the structure of the Baroque dance suite. We study the components and ordering of 423 movements in 70 dance suites by six prominent Baroque composers. The most common elements of these suites appear to carry part of the evolution of the symphony from its early manifestation as incidental music for operas. The Baroque dance suite explains the transition from the early three-movement symphony to its high Classical four-movement structure. This allows us to see the Classical symphony as a continuation and specialization of the popular Baroque dance suite. It further opens a door to aspiring symphonic composers to find inspiration in the Baroque dance suite, to revitalize this popular musical form.