Brandenburg Concerto No.5

• Melody
  • Mostly conjunct melody, although there are some leaps
  • There are rising sequences (b137)
  • Many ornaments - typical for baroque
  • 2 principal themes
  • Subject and answer are alternate every 2 bars
  • Entries of subject and answer are closer than before - seeming fast and tumbling (stretto)
  • Countersubject - harmony line for subject
  • Uses pedal, suspensions, and sequences
• Harmony
  • Uses standard chords (I, IV, V, sometimes II and VI)
  • includes dominant 7ths in inversions
  • Functional harmony
  • Usually uses root and 1st inversion chords
  • Occasional suspensions (b130)
• Tonality
  • Predominantly D major
  • B section is in B minor - relative minor
  • Final A section is back in D
  • Sometimes modulates to dominant (A maj)
  • ^ Indicated by use of accidentals
• Instrumentation
  • A concerto grosso - concerto for more than 1 soloist
  • Concertino - solo instruments (flute, violin, harpsichord)
  • Ripieno - accompanying part (string orchestra)
  • Basso continuo - continuous bass line in harpsichord + low strings
  • Harpsichord has 5 roles - soloist, part of the basso, realising the figured bass, completing the harmony, conducting/directing the ensemble
• Tempo
  • 2/4
  • Uses many triplets and dotted rhythms (theme 1)
  • Harpsichord part has many semiquaver runs
  • Could’ve also been notated in 6/8 (due to triplets)
• Context
  • Bach wrote 6 Brandenburg concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg
  • Usual for Baroque music to only have 1 mood - affection
  • Affection for this piece was upbeat - similar to a dance
  • Written as chamber music - small group of musicians
• Dynamics
  • Few dynamic markings, since it is Baroque era
  • There are terraced dynamics - balancing the instrument sounds
• Structure
  • Ternary structure (ABA)
  • A section is a fugal style (Expositional)
  • B section adds a new theme
• Texture
  • Mainly polyphonic (more than 1 melody at a time)
  • use of imitation
  • At the start, the flute + violin play in two-part imitation
  • When the harpsichord comes in, the subject is on the left hand, while the answer is in the right - 2 part counterpoint
  • Once all solo instruments are playing, this is 4 part counterpoint
  • Occasionally flute + violin play in thirds

\