Work
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Musicology:
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Queen's Alman, MB10Year: c.1590
Genre: Other Keyboard
Pr. Instrument: Keyboard
The Alman is a dance that became popular in the English courts in the 1560s and which composers would arrange for other instruments, popularly keyboard. The English composer William Byrd (1543-1623) arranged several examples of this form for keyboard, utilising a similar procedure to that used in his variation sets. The Queen's Alman contains three variations.
The source tune was well known, and Byrd adopts a standard harmony. These three variations are probably the most interesting of his nine almans, as Byrd uses a more personal voice and greater artistry of technique than his other assays in this genre. This charming work is often overlooked in preference to Byrd's more showy works.
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© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.
