Bach Flashcards
What is the concertino? What instruments are part of it?
Concertino- group of soloists
Flute, violin and harpsichord
What is the ripieno? What instruments are part of it?
Ripieno - the orchestra/accompanying instruments
Viola, non solo violin, cello/double bass
What is the purpose of the harpsichord?
It plays as part of the ripieno and as a soloist instrument, playing an extended virtuosic part including many semiquaver, scalic runs and lots of ornamentation.
What is a concerto grosso?
It is a baroque concerto where there is a concertino (small group of soloists) and a ripieno (orchestra including a basso continuo)
What is the basso continuo?
The combination of a bass instrument (e.g. cello or double bass) and a chordal instrument (e.g lute or harpsichord)
What is unusual about the instrumentation?
Most baroque concertos had one or two solo violins but this one has a flute, violin and harpsichord. The harpsichord plays as part of both the concertino and ripieno.
Describe the structure.
It is in ternary form (ABA)
Describe the melody in the A section.
- Leap of a 4th to consolidate key e.g. bar 1
- based on fugal subject
- mostly conjunct
- ornaments (especially in harpsichord)
- Scalic runs (mostly in harpsichord)
- Melodic sequences
What is ornamentation? Give some examples.
Ornaments are melodic decorations by adding notes or modifying rhythms, like trills, mordents, turns and appoggiaturas
What is the tempo and metre?
In 2/4 but the triplets make it compound duple time
Baroque gigue so it is at a lively tempo of allegro
Common rhythms?
Triplets, dotted rhythms, semiquaver runs
Describe the B section melody
More lyrical
Longer note durations —> minims in the place of triplets
In the relative minor
Variant of A subject
Describe the overall texture.
- Contrapuntal
-harpsichord plays in two part counterpoint - Fugal style (not an actual fugue)
- Imitation
- some dialogue e.g. bar 177-186
- sometimes the flute and violin play in thirds (the harpsichord also does this)
- the flute and violin play in unison when the ripieno is playing
- tonic pedal (B) in the middle section
What is the harmony like in the A section
- Starts in D Major
- modulates to related keys (A major e.g. bar2-3[dominant], E Major e.g. 23-24[secondary dominant] and G major e.g. 64-65 [sub dominant]
- Diatonic
- Functional harmony, uses standard chords
What is the harmony like in the B section
- B minor (relative minor key)
- modulates to F# minor, E minor, A major and D major
- some suspensions occasionally
- perfect cadences announce the end of sections
- also diatonic
- FUNCTIONAL HARMONY
