ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the tradition's gradual decline outside of Leipzig and Hamburg, and eventual extinction during the last two decades of the seventeenth century. This decline is in terms of output and not necessarily in quality of music as, again with the exception of Leipzig and Hamburg, very little of the suite repertoire seems to have been published in the 1670's. Certainly, the decline of music printing during the last two decades of the century must have played a part. But the trade and commerce on which the towns and therefore musical patronage depended continued to flourish in all but few places. So even if the decline in publishing was a contributory factor, we must look to culture rather than commerce for reasons explaining the demise of the town tradition. The dances follow the town-music tradition with hybrid Courantes and propulsive, often imitative Gigues.
