GCSE WJEC Badinerie background notes

Who wrote the Badinerie & when was it written?

It was written by Johann Sebastian Bach, a German Baroque composer & musician (1685-1750). It was written 1738-1739 as part of the Orchestral Suit No.2, as the 7th & last movement

What instrumentation is used in this piece?

Transverse flute, String Orchestra & Harpsichord (Basso Continuo)

What tempo is this piece & what are the dynamics used?

The tempo is Allegro (not marked on the score) & the dynamics are mostly forte with use of terraced dynamics (very few are marked on the score, which was typical of the time period)

What is the structure & form of the piece?

The piece is in binary form (AB) with each section repeated once (AABB), Section A is Bars 0²-16¹ (16 bars) & Section B is Bars 16²- 40¹(24 bars)

What is the tonality of the piece & what are the harmonies like?

Section A begins in B minor & ends in F# minor whilst Section B does the opposite, beginning in F# minor & ending in B minor. The harmony is diatonic throughout, meaning it belongs to the key

What is the movement based on (melody & pitch)?

It is based on 2 short musical ideas (Motifs X & Y)

What is the metre of the piece & what are the rhythms like?

The time signature is 2/4 & there are simple ostinato rhythms, consisting almost completely of quavers & semi-quavers

What is the texture of the piece?

The piece is homophonic (melody & accompaniment)