Gavotte

Arranger's note:
I first arranged this 'Gavotte and 6 doubles' (or variations) for saxophone quartet, and was one of my very first arrangements. It comes from Rameau's third collection of keyboard pieces, the Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin, published in 1728. The Gavotte is the final movement in the first of two sets which combine dance movements with character pieces and has been described as "one of the Baroque's most brilliant variation sets." The original Gavotte has a lyrical and lively character.
Rameau had arranged similar music for harpsichord and flute and was also the first composer to introduce the clarinet to France, so I'm sure Rameau would have approved of arranging it for clarinet quartet! The early history of the Gavotte also appealed to me - the original form of the dance involved a lot of kissing!