Brandenburg

Question 1

Harmony and tonality

Answer 1

• Functional harmony (AO3), typical of baroque music (AO4)
• Diatonic Harmony (AO3)
• D major including modulations to A major (dom.), 5th above tonic D (AO3) - happy joyous mood (AO4)
• Harmony derived from I, IV and V chords (AO3), standard chords at the time (AO4)
• Chords are usually in root position or first inversion (AO3)
• Cycle of 5ths (AO3)
• Harmony is figured from the bass (AO3)
• Ground Bass (AO3)
• Middle section in B minor modulates to F# minor and A major (AO3) this is to represent the depressing dark theme (AO4)
• Harmonic device - suspension (AO3) the harpsichord could not sustain notes as instruments were not as developed during this era (AO4), common baroque musical device (AO4)
• Each section ends with a perfect cadence (AO3) this is to announce the end of a section (AO4)

Question 2

Instrumentation

Answer 2

• Made up of the concertino (flute, principle violin, Harpsichord), ripieno (ripieno violin, viola, cello, Double bass) and basso continuo (double bass, harpsichord, cello) (AO3)
• Bach’s inclusion of woodwind instruments in the concertino breaks tradition (AO4)
• Harpsichord- soloist, accompanist and leader/director (AO3)- no conductors in baroque era (AO4)
• Virtuosic writing allowed for performers to excel (AO4)

Question 3

Texture

Answer 3

• Contrapuntal, Polyphonic (AO3)
• Frequent use of imitation (AO3)
• Briefly monophonic at the start due to unaccompanied melody
• Overlapping melody, stretto (AO3)- heightens tension (AO4)
• Moments of Unison, canon, dialogue (AO3)

Question 4

Rhythm, metre and tempo

Answer 4

• Simple duple metre (2/4) (AO3)
• Triplet quavers make it sound like compound duple metre (AO3)
• In the style of a gigue (AO3) an Irish folk dance usually in 6/8 and a lot of triplets (AO4)
• Quavers in rapid succession (AO3)

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

• Ternary form / ABA (AO3) common structure in baroque era (AO4)
• A section is a fugato and bars 1-78 (AO3 )
• Section B is a ritornello structure from bars 79-232 (AO3)
• Then goes back to section A fugato from bars 233-310 (AO3)
• A true fugue would have slight differences between exposition and final section, but Bach breaks this tradition. (AO4)

Question 6

Melody

Answer 6

• Uses 2 types of ornamentation; trill and appoggiatura (AO3) this is because instruments were not as developed and could not play complex melodies (AO4), notes could not be sustained on the harpsichord (AO4)
• Movement. Is based on triadic and scalic ideas (AO3)
• Sequence (AO3)
• Triplet derived subject (AO3)
• Constantly moving passages, scalic runs (AO3)
• Ascending sequences (AO3)