French Overture, Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067 was composed by Johan Sebastian Bach.

Instruments used in the orchestration are flute, harpsichord, 2 violins, viola, cello, and bass.
Besides the overture, this masterpiece has six more elements of the concerto form. These are a
series of short dances in various dance forms namely Rondeau (Rondo) at 6:40, Sarabande at
8:32, Bourree I/II at 11:21, Polonaise at 13:05, Menuet at 16:19, and finally Badinerie at 17:35.
The Rondeau, or the Bouree and the Menuet, both of which are fashionable dances at the court.
The Sarabande, a fast dance with Spanish origins but appeared in this work slower. In each
section of the dances, this musical work changes the mood.

At 5:42, at the last minute of the overture, the tempo becomes slower. Each instrument plays
melodic and harmonic lines in counterpoint with each other to a point at the close end that the
flute and the violin play the same melody up to the ending of the overture while other
instruments continue counterpointing. The overture ends with a delicate ritardando dynamics.

Rondeau, as mentioned above is a fashionable dance form. This was executed with a simple cut
time meter and regular rhythm. Melody is played together by the flute and the two violins, the
harpsichord, and the bass play the same rhythm with passing tone at the second in contrast with
the viola’s rhythm mostly in the fourth beat. To show the movement of the dance in this section,
the composer uses a contrasting timbre of legato and staccato in the melody with regular quarter
notes and moving eighth notes like what it heard in 7:08 to 7:15.

Sarabande is in slow tempo. Mood changes not only that is set by the tempo but as well with the
use of slur or sliding tones and thrills or vibratos. The mood is set as well with the melody being
played by the violin and the flute while other instruments accompany counterpoint horizontal
melodic lines. The last part’s melody extends tone up to the next measures like what is heard in
10:10 to ending. Sarabande is divided into two sections. Section 1 is from 8:32 to 35 and section
2 is from 10:33 to 11:19. The flute dominated in playing the melody.

Bourree is a short piece in a fast tempo and divided into two parts. Bourre I covers from 11:21
to 12: 11 while Bourre is from 12:13 to 13:03. Melodic phrases is divided into eight measures
and it can be heard and noticed easily because of the long notes every after eight measures.
Melody is played by the violin and the flute. The melody of Bouree II on the other hand is played
by the solo flute. Musical phrases are shorter and divided into four measures only. Other
instruments play in counterpoint with the melody while the bass and the harpsichord play a
rhythmic pattern composed of quarter notes. The mood is executed by the steady rhythm of
quarter notes set by the harpsichord while the violin and the flute plays a running eight-note with
quarter notes rhythm from time to time while the violin and the cello play a melodic line in
counterpoint. There is no ritardando ending in this music.
 

Polonaise’s mood is executed by a moderate staccato tempo, the melodic phrase started with a
dotted eighth note and two-sixteenth notes plus slides of eight notes and thirty-second notes with
a half note at the third beat. Each phrase has four measures only. Melody is dominated and
played by the flute Section section of Polonaise is played by a trio at 12:20 to 15: 37. Melody is
extended from the melody set in section 1, the harpsichord maintains the rhythmic pattern set by
the melody at section 1, while the cello plays in counterpoint. Section 1 is repeated after the trio,
from 15:38 to 16:16. The mood in this section is executed not only by the moderate staccato
tempo, not only with the harmonic pattern but as well the contrasting loud and soft dynamics in
every musical phrase plus the technique of playing such as slides and thrills.

Menuet has a melodic texture of triple legato, triple marcato, and triple staccato. The tempo is
moderately slow. Melody is played by the flute, violins, and viola while the bass, cello, and
harpsichord play the accompaniment. The introduction has eight measures. This is to set the
mood of the music. Musical phrases are divided into 2 measures which have a duple and triple
meter.

Finally the Badenerie, in two-fourth time signature with a moderately fast tempo. Running and
continuous melody is played by the flute. Other instruments maintain a shorter harmonic rhythm
in staccato texture. I can hear a different tone color played by the flute in 18:08 that seems like a
dissonant tone but when I listened carefully, it’s a halftone down from an original note. This
section is fast flowing. It sounds like rushing music towards the end. The mood in this music is
set with the fast and running notes played by the melody with a minor second note that sounded
like an off key.