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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

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

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