| Though little of his music was published in his lifetime, Froberger was very influential through posthumous prints and manuscript copies; his fusion of Frescobaldi 's Italianate idiom with the French style of the era served as a model for many later German keyboard composers. His frequent designation as creator of the standardized suite must be questioned, however; the autograph manuscripts of his suites generally make the sarabande the last dance, with the gigue taking this position only in prints dating from the 1690s. His works, almost all for keyboard, reflect his mixed musical heritage: his partitas, capriccios, ricercars, and toccatas (some alla levatione for use in the liturgy) are in a style close to Frescobaldi's, while his suites and programmatic works (including several moving tombeaux) are based on the French usage. To the sensitive listener Froberger's ultimate claim to greatness rests primarily on his capacity to convey to us the intense emotions that he was able to express in a few bars lasting but a moment or two. In this sense he was truly unique. |
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