I. VARIATIONS BY JOHN BULL.
Among the most interesting of these early attempts to solve the problem are certain pieces by the English composers for the harpsichord who lived in the latter part of the sixteenth century. John Bull (1563-1628), a chorister in the Chapel Royal of Queen Elizabeth, was one of the most famous of these, and he has left us several pieces in variation form, one of which, "Courante Jewel," is well worth our attention.
The courante (Fr. courir, to run) is one of the old dance forms that became imbedded in the suite, where it followed the opening[20] Allemande. This particular example of the courante illustrates the habit, common at that time, of writing pieces based on well known dance rhythms such as we have studied in Chapters IV and V. Composers attempted to provide further interest in their pieces by giving them special titles. We find, for example, one of Byrd's harpsichord pieces called "Galiardo, Mrs. Mary Brownlo," and one of Bull's entitled "Pavana, St. Thomas Wake." This tendency in English music towards definiteness of idea, and away from all that is vague, has been already noted in our chapter on "Folk Songs."
The "Courante Jewel" is an interesting example of a form of variation that has now become practically obsolete. It consists of four separate melodies, each immediately followed by its variation. The plan might be expressed by the following formula: A, a; B, b; C, c; D, d, the large letters representing the themes and the small letters the variations. The first theme begins as follows:
![[PNG]](#5102994518728001825_pag95_score1.png.id-3746130972465306983.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
FIGURE XXVIII. From first theme of Bull's "Courante Jewel."
The complete theme is sixteen measures long and is divided off into phrases of regular length. This is immediately followed by the variation, the corresponding portion of which will be found in Figure XXIX.
![[PNG]](#5102994518728001825_pag96_score1.png.id-2646409161934748212.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
FIGURE XXIX. Part of the variation.
In Figure XXX are shown the first phrases of the second, third and fourth melodies, in order that the reader may see how distinct is each one.
![[PNG]](#5102994518728001825_pag96_score2a.png.id-448546800431889394.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
![[PNG]](#5102994518728001825_pag96_score2b.png.id-2965970255143015923.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
![[PNG]](#5102994518728001825_pag96_score2c.png.id-2083302887058211167.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
FIGURE XXX.
This little piece illustrates what has been already said about freedom of expression. It does not impress us as strictly dance music; it is manifestly written for its own sake and represents that natural tendency to create something beautiful which underlies art everywhere. But in respect of order and design we find here a decided weakness. Four separate and successive ideas, each followed by an elaboration of itself, would make a poor model for any art. One feels a sense of vagueness after listening to a piece so constructed; no single idea dominates; one longs for some point upon which the attention may be centered.