gigue

Gigue, from the French word for jig, is a brisk Baroque dance and a common final movement in many dance suites. The term reflects its roots in the jig of folk and ceremonial dances across Europe, and in musicology it is used to designate a lively instrumental piece that embodies the spirit of that dance, even when performed in concert settings rather than on the dance floor.

Musically, gigues are typically written in a compound meter, most often 6/8 or 12/8, and are characterized by rapid passagework, dotted rhythms, and lively imitative textures such as sequences or canons. They often begin with a short upbeat figure and proceed through a series of lively figures, sometimes including a contrasting middle section and eventually a virtuosic, jubilant conclusion.

In the Baroque repertoire, the gigue serves as a standard closing movement in keyboard and violin suites, and appears in orchestral suites as well. Notable composers who wrote gigues include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann, and François Couperin. The form is valued for its energetic drive, clear formal architecture, and capacity to showcase technical dexterity within a compact, repetitive framework.

Related topics include the jig, Baroque music, and the dance suite. While historically linked to dance, modern performances of the gigue emphasize musical structure and expression over social dancing.