Forlana
Lively dance from Friuli in 6/8 time.
What it means
The forlana, Italian furlana, is a lively dance that originally comes from Friuli in the north-east of Italy. It is in 6/8 time, more rarely in 6/4, and is marked by dotted rhythms and a hopping, spirited character.
Musical use
In the 17th and 18th centuries the forlana reached France via Venice and entered the Baroque suite and opera style. Examples are found in Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite in C major BWV 1066, in François Couperin's Concerts royaux, and much later in Maurice Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin (1917), where he takes up the Baroque form. As a stage dance it appears in French ballet operas.
The forlana should be distinguished from the gigue, which is also in 6/8 but faster and usually contrapuntal, and from the tarantella and the farandole, which differ in origin and form of movement. The forlana seems more dignified-lively than wild.
Performance practice
Play the forlana with a flowing, elegant swing and clear emphasis on the dotted rhythms without making them too hard. Watch for two clear main beats per bar and for ornaments, which in the French style are used sparingly and tastefully.