Polonaise from a work in progress

This is a movement from an orchestral suite I'm working on.  It's the only movement I've completed so far, but is not the first movement; it will probably be the fourth or fifth, following an overture and a few other dance movements.  Mostly, I'm curious what people think of the style - it's obviously firmly in the Baroque tradition, but I'm not adhering too rigidly to a Baroque style, particularly in terms of the orchestration.  Any comments would be quite helpful as I continue to work on the other movements.  Thanks!

I understand that a Baroque Polonaise will be quite a bit different than one from the Romantic-era varieties (such as Chopin's Polonaises).  This one in particular is quite a bit more contrapuntal and sound very on-point stylistically if not orchestrationally, as you mentioned.  But even Baroque Polonaises adhere to the following typical Polonaise rhythm that characterizes it:  

I guess you modify this rhythm somewhat for your own purposes by including a dotted 8th followed by a 16th in the first beat of each measure of your Polonaise.  However, in more homophonic settings of Polonaises, this rhythm is quite an expected staple and mandatory feature of the accompaniment that make it sound like a dance and quite "stately" (since I've been in a Polish folk dance ensemble I happen to have danced the Polonaise and know what to listen for).  Anyways - that's my critique.  Thanks for sharing!

Baroque polonaises did not rigidly adhere to that typical polonaise rhythm.  The one I chiefly had in mind in writing this is the polonaise from Bach's B minor orchestral suite, which uses a very similar dotted rhythm to the one I used (and has straight eighths in the accompaniment). 

Hi @Aiwendil,

Welcome back with a nice post!

1 hour ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

since I've been in a Polish folk dance ensemble I happen to have danced the Polonaise and know what to listen for

Since I've never danced in a Polish Folk dance ensemble like Peter did I would not comment on the nature of the Polonaise!😅😄 

For me this is a very lovely orchestral Baroque dance. I love the 3 bar structure in the dance proper, and you are having the energy inside it, with that beautiful cello bassline and woodwind melody. I particularly love b.13 when violin I pair up with oboe and violin II pair up with flute and both pairs square each other off like what happen in a dance ensemble (even though I have never joined one haha). Very picturesque here!

For the trio I love the texture! It's interesting that you're still using the Polonaise melody there for the trio, but with contrast of texture. Next you are going for the inversion of it in b.38. Lovely suspension for the flutes as well. Maybe you can change the orchestration there with the violins join the melody as well but your treatment here is also great for a trio to have contrast of timbre with the Polonaise proper.

Thx for sharing and looking forward to your remaining movements of your Suite!

Henry