1- Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major - Bach Flashcards
Brandenburg Context
Johann Sebastian Bach
Baroque Period (1600- 1750)
Chamber Music
Patronage
Concerto Grosso
Secular - non religious
Affection mood
Chamber music
Music for a small group of musicians
Patronage
Composers were commissioned - Bach (composition commission of six concertos)
Secular
Non - religious music
Baroque period
1600 - 1750
When was Brandenburg written?
1721
Melody in Brandenburg
Music mostly Conjunct (bar 2)
Stepwise movement
Leaps throughout (fourths in bar 1)
Scalic runs (harpsichord part)
Rising sequences (bar 137)
Occasional ornaments (trills bar 19) (appoggiaturas bar 148)
Conjunct Definition
Where a melody moves by steps and not by leaps.
Sequence Definition
The repetition of a musical phrase at a higher or lower pitch than the original.
Appoggiaturas Definition
A grace note which delays the next next note of the melody, taking half or more of its written time value.
Trill defintion
Quickly moving between the written note and the tone above.
Scalic Defintion
Pitches in a stepwise order.
Ornamentation Definition
Elaborating or decorating musical material.
Articulation in Brandenburg
…
only set work that isn’t….
….Syncopated
Dynamics in Brandenburg
Harpsichord prevents variation in dynamics
No dynamic markings (mostly for balance reasons)
Terraced Dynamics
Sudden changing dynamics - used in Baroque music.
Texture in Brandenburg
Contrapuntal (polyphonic)
Fugal style (uses lots of imitation)
Two-part imitation
Harpsichord plays two-part counterpoint
Flute and violin plays in thirds and harpsichord
In ripieno flute and violin doubles each other in unison (e.g. Bar 33)
Tonic pedal on B in bass line in new middle section theme
Unison Definition
More that one part playing the same melody at the same pitch.
Fragments Defintion
A small segment of a piece of music.
Contrapuntal/ Polyphonic
Two or more simultaneous and independence melody lines.
Homophonic
A texture comprising a melody part and an accompaniment.
Structure in Brandenburg
Ternary form (ABA)
Intro motif used in other sections (clever use by Bach)
A - D major, being fugal style, brief section in the dominant key (A major)
B- middle section begins bar 79, in relative minor (B Minor) with new theme in flute, second theme returns in bar 148 in dominant in the ripieno, fragments of theme A, end with perfect cadence B minor
A- repeat of A, beings with extra D major chord in the continuo to establish return of the tonic key.
Fugue definition
a contrapuntal composition in which a short phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.
Stretto definition
Entires of the subject occurring closer together than before, heightening the tension of the music.
Countersubject definition
The melody played after the subject or answer has been sounded.
Harmony Brandenburg
Uses standard chords ( 1, 5, 4)
Dominant sevenths
harmony is functional
mainly root position
Diatonic
mainly first inversions
perfect cadences
Suspension (bar 130)
Diatonic defintion
Notes belonging to the key of the piece.
Instruments Brandenburg
Cello
double bass
harpsichord - figured bass
Concerto grosso
Concertino
Ripieno
Basso continuo
Harpsichord parts very virtuosic
Baroque flute different from modern flute
Figured bass Definition
a shorthand system of numbers under the bass notes
How did Bach break the traditions of a Concerto?
Extended Virtuoso solo part for harpischord - Scalia runs as well
The harpsichord only occasionally play continuo chords (bar 29 - 37)
The ripieno only has one violin part
The concertino consist of flute, violin, harpsichord
Concerto grosso
Ripieno Definition
String orchestra
Concertino defintion
group of solo instruments
Concerto Grosso Definition
A concerto for a large number of instrumental parts, typically 3 soloists and an orchestra.
Continuo definition
The bass line in Baroque orchestral, chamber and choral works.
Figured bass Definition
A type of musical shorthand for a keyboard player. The figures indicate the chord to be played able the bass note.
Rhythm, tempo, metre Brandenburg
The metre is 2/4, duple time
triplets and dotted rhythm
trills (bar 19)
Baroque era the dotted quaver - semiquaver grouping e.g. bar 1 would be performed in triplet rhythm.
semiquaver runs in harpsichord. ( bar 45)
Tonality Brandenburg
D major
Key used for most of A section
B section modulated to the dominant (a major) and relative minor (B minor)
music is diatonic
Vituosic Defintion
Difficult and impressive
Diatonic Defintion
All the notes/ chords come from the key signature.
Gigue defintion
A fast Baroque dance or piece that suggests a dance.
Pedal note defintion
A chord where the tonic is in the bass
Dotten rhythm definition
A longer note followed by a shorter value
Suspension definition
Prolonging a note to create a dissonance with the next chord.
Antiphonal definition
Swapping between different musical groups
