brandenburg-introduction

Third

Which movement of the concerto is this piece?

Six

How many Brandenburg Concertos are there?

Concerto No.5

Which of the Brandenburg Concertos is this piece?

D major

What is the home or tonic key of this work?

Three (ABA)

How many sections is this piece structured in?

Ternary

What is a three part form called?

A Concerto Grosso

What type of concerto is this piece?

A Gigue (Jig)

What Baroque dance piece is this final movement in the style of?

The fast/lively tempo (allegro), the two beats in a bar (2/4), the use of triplets (which help create a compound time feel - same as a gigue), the dotted rhythms ands the passages of fast semiquavers

What features of the music create the dance-like feel of the music?

They are both final movements. This work is the final (third) movement of the concerto and a gigue is the final movement of the dance suite.

What else links this movement with the gigue?

The use of more than one soloist. A group of soloists is used (in this case 2 main ones - flute and violin - with the harpsichord also making a third soloist in places). The use of a string ensemble as the accompaniment section and the use of a basso continuo (which places this in the baroque era and therefore helps indicate this as a concerto grosso as the grosso fell away during the Classical era)

What features of the music indicate it as being a concerto grosso?

Concertino

What is the name for the group of soloists used by Bach in this piece?

Ripieno

What is the name for the string ensemble accompanying the soloists in this work?

The cello, double bass and harpsichord

Which instruments are responsible for playing the basso continuo in this work?

Figured bass

When the harpsichord is playing as part of the basso continuo, there are small numbers written below the harpsichord bass line. What are these numbers known as?

They tell the performer which notes to add on top ion the bass line. These indicated notes create the chords or harmony needed at that moment. The numbers indicate the interval above the bass note that needs adding.

What do the small numbers below the harpsichord part indicate?

A realisation

When the harpsichord adds chords based on the figured bass - the part produced is known as what?

Ornaments such as trills and mordents. Sequences and imitation of parts.

What melodic features are used in this work that indicate it to be written in the Baroque era?

The use of perfect cadences, functional harmony, suspensions and pedal notes.

What harmonic features of this work indicate that it was written in the Baroque era?

In this case, the harpsichord was unable to change the dynamics of what it was playing. Therefore, the dynamics were changed by how many players were playing at any one time. This meant that to play quiet you had less instruments and to play loud - more. Baroque dynamics were therefore either quiet or loud. Very black and white. No use of gentle changes such as crescendos and diminuendos. These only came about after the decline of the harpsichord.

Why is there no dynamics written on the music in Baroque pieces?

Terraced dynamics

What are the typical Baroque dynamics of just loud and quiet known as?

Polyphonic or contrapuntal

What is the predominant texture of this piece?

Melodic = ornaments (trills and mordents), the use of sequences, imitation.
Dynamics = terraced dynamics
Tonality = the use of the major/minor tonal system rather than modes
Harmony = diatonic, mostly primary chords, functional harmony, perfect cadences, suspensions and pedals
Textures = Mainly polyphonic or contrapuntal with some monophonic and homophonic sections
Instrumentation = the use of harpsichord, the use of a basso continuo, the use of a group of soloists (concertino)
Mood = the use of one mood or 'affection' for each section

List all the features of this piece which are typical of the Baroque era.

There are sections within the piece where the harpsichord is the only instrument playing (a true solo) and the harpsichord player would more than likely be conducting the performance from the keyboard.

Describe the different ways the harpsichord is used throughout this piece.