Bach - Brandenburg - Section A (opening)

The solo violin

What instrument is first heard in this piece?

The solo flute

Which instrument do we hear second in this piece?

The subject

What is the term for the short melodic motif that is played by the solo violin?

2-bars

How long is the subject?

One octave

What is the range of the subject?

Dotted rhythms, triplets and it starts with an anacrusis

Identify three rhythmic features of the subject motif

The answer

What term is used for what the flute plays?

A tonal answer - this is where the melody is imitated but not exactly the same - possibly moved higher or lower than the original.

A real answer where the imitation is exact. We only have tonal answers in this piece.

There are two types of 'answer' that can be played in this type of style. What are they?

The countersubject

What material is played by the violin while the flute is playing the answer?

Straight quavers separated by quaver rests

Identify two rhythmic features of the countersubject material

harpsichord

What is the third instrument to play the subject/answer?

A fugue

What typical Baroque structure is this opening based on?

A fugata

As this piece is not an exact fugue, but in the style of a fugue at the start, what is the term for this fugue-like style?

A solo statement of the subject. Replied with a tonal answer while countersubject material is being played. This subject/answer material is passed between all the main instruments before the music moves on to the next section. Here we have the violin - then the flute - then the harpsichord before the music moves on to include the ripen section

What features of the music indicate that this fugue-like style is being used?

Fugal exposition

What term is used to describe this style of opening?

D major

What is the opening key of the piece?

A major (the dominant key)

Remember that this is reached very early. Violin-flute-harpsichord-semiquavers-A major.

In bars 15 and 16, the harpsichord has played the subject and answer and then plays two bars of semiquaver passagework. As this ends at bar 17 we have reached. new key. What is this new key?

Because a harpsichord cannot sustain a long note. The only way to keep the sound going is to use a trill

Why does the harpsichord need to use trills while it waits fore the flute and violin parts?

Monophonic as only the violin plays at the very start

What is the opening texture?

2-part counterpoint, contrapuntal or polyphonic

What is the term for the texture when the flute joins in?

3-part counterpoint, contrapuntal or polyphonic

What term can be used for the texture once the left hand of the harpsichord joins in?

4-part counterpoint, contrapuntal or polyphonic

What term can be used once the right hand of the harpsichord joins in?

Dialogue or antiphony

The section at the end of the opening, while we still only have soloists, is where the flute and violin take turns with the harpsichord. What melodic feature is this?

E major (the dominant of the dominant) but this is very brief as one bar later it returns to A major

At the end of the brief dialogue section, bars 22-24, the harpsichord plays constant triplets as the flute and violin hold long notes. Here the music briefly changes key. To what?

Back to D major

As the ripeno enter, at the end of the opening, the key moves to where?