Baroque Concerto Grosso: Bach Brandenburg No. 5 Movement 3 Analysis

What type of movement is the third movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5?

It is a concerto grosso, featuring a group of soloists (concertino) and a string orchestra (ripieno).

What is the main tonality of the piece?

D major

What is the relative minor key used in the B section?

B minor

What is the structure of the piece?

The piece is in ternary form (ABA).

What instruments are featured in the concertino?

A solo flute, violin, and harpsichord.

What is the texture of the movement?

The texture is polyphonic, with more than one melody happening at the same time.

What rhythmic elements are prominent in the piece?

The piece uses lots of triplets and dotted rhythms.

What is the significance of the harpsichord in this concerto?

Bach made the harpsichord part virtuosic, with fast scalic runs and trills.

What is an anacrusis in the context of this piece?

The first melody idea (subject) starts with an anacrusis, which is a pickup note before the first strong beat.

What type of cadences are used in the harmony?

Perfect cadences are used to announce the ends of sections.

What does the term 'basso continuo' refer to in this piece?

It refers to the bass instruments playing a bass line while the harpsichord realizes the chords on top.

How does the piece utilize imitation?

There is use of imitation, where one part imitates another in a call and response style.

What is the significance of the opening A section's style?

The opening A section begins in a fugal style, using fugal techniques like imitation.

What is the role of the double bass in the piece?

The double bass is part of the string orchestra and contributes to the basso continuo.

What is the effect of the large number of triplets in the piece?

The piece could also be notated in 6/8 time due to the prevalence of triplets.

What is a rising sequence in music?

A rising sequence occurs when a short phrase is repeated going one note higher each time.

What are ornaments in music, and which ones are used in this piece?

Ornaments such as grace notes (appoggiaturas) and trills are used to embellish the melody.

What is the significance of the dynamic markings in the score?

Dynamic markings are mostly for balance reasons, ensuring one instrument can be heard over another.

What is the historical context of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos?

Bach wrote them as part of a job application for the Margrave of Brandenburg.

What is the role of the string orchestra in this piece?

The string orchestra, known as the ripieno, accompanies the concertino and provides harmonic support.

How does the piece modulate?

The key modulates often to the dominant (A major) and the dominant of the dominant (E major), indicated by accidentals.