Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (

Question 1

What type of movement is primarily used in the melody?

Answer 1

The melody primarily has a stepwise (conjunct) movement, although there are some leaps.

Question 2

What are rising sequences in music?

Answer 2

Rising sequences occur when a short phrase is repeated, going one note higher each time.

Question 3

What are scalic runs?

Answer 3

Scalic runs are sequences of notes going up and down a scale.

Question 4

What types of ornaments are used in the piece?

Answer 4

The piece includes ornaments such as grace notes (appoggiaturas) and trills.

Question 5

What is the main tonality of the piece?

Answer 5

The main tonality for the piece is D major.

Question 6

What key is the B section in?

Answer 6

The B section is in the relative minor key of B minor.

Question 7

What key does the final A section return to?

Answer 7

The final A section returns to D major.

Question 8

To which keys does the piece modulate frequently?

Answer 8

The piece modulates often to the dominant (A major) and the dominant of the dominant (E major), indicated by the addition of accidentals.

Question 9

What type of harmony is used in the piece?

Answer 9

The harmony uses standard chords of the time and is diatonic, meaning all notes/chords come from the key signature.

Question 10

What are perfect cadences?

Answer 10

Perfect cadences announce the ends of sections, such as the perfect cadence in B minor at the end of the B section.

Question 11

Which chords are mainly used in the harmony?

Answer 11

The harmony mainly uses chords I, IV, and V, with occasional use of ii and vi.

Question 12

What is the function of the harmony?

Answer 12

The harmony is functional, using perfect cadences to move between closely related key signatures.

Question 13

What types of chords are primarily used?

Answer 13

The harmony uses mainly root position and first inversion chords.

Question 14

What are suspensions in music?

Answer 14

There are occasional suspensions in the harmony.

Question 15

What instruments are used in this piece?

Answer 15

This piece uses a solo flute and violin, a harpsichord, and a string orchestra (including violin, viola, cello, and double bass).

Question 16

What is the group of solo instruments called?

Answer 16

The group of solo instruments (violin, flute, and harpsichord) is known as the concertino.

Question 17

What is the string orchestra referred to as?

Answer 17

The string orchestra is known as the ripieno.

Question 18

What role do the bass/cello and harpsichord play?

Answer 18

The bass/cello and harpsichord sometimes act as the basso continuo, with the bass instruments playing a bass line and the harpsichord realizing the chords on top.

Question 19

How did Bach innovate with the harpsichord part?

Answer 19

Bach broke with tradition by making the harpsichord part incredibly virtuosic, featuring fast scalic runs and trills in both hands at once.

Question 20

How does the baroque flute differ from the modern flute?

Answer 20

The baroque flute is different from the modern flute as it was made of wood.

Question 21

What is the texture of the piece?

Answer 21

The texture is polyphonic, meaning more than one melody is happening at the same time.

Question 22

What is imitation in music?

Answer 22

Imitation occurs when one part imitates another in a call and response style.

Question 23

What style does the movement begin in?

Answer 23

The movement begins in a fugal style, using techniques similar to a fugue.

Question 24

What is a fugue?

Answer 24

A fugue is a complicated piece that uses lots of imitation throughout.

Question 25

What happens when the flute and violin play together?

Answer 25

Sometimes the flute and violin play the same thing in unison.

Question 26

How do the harpsichord’s left and right hands function at the start?

Answer 26

When the harpsichord comes in at the start, it plays the subject in the left hand, then the answer in the right.

Question 27

What type of counterpoint does the harpsichord play?

Answer 27

The harpsichord plays in two-part counterpoint.

Question 28

What happens when all solo instruments play together?

Answer 28

Once all solo instruments are playing, they are playing in four-part counterpoint.

Question 29

What is a tonic pedal?

Answer 29

At the start of the B section, there is a tonic pedal on B.

Question 30

When was this piece written?

Answer 30

This piece was written in the Baroque era.

Question 31

For whom did Bach write a set of concertos?

Answer 31

Bach wrote a set of six concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg as part of a job application.

Question 32

What is a concerto grosso?

Answer 32

A concerto grosso features a group of soloists (the concertino) rather than just one soloist.

Question 33

What is the structure of this piece?

Answer 33

This is the third of three movements in the concerto.

Question 34

What type of music is this piece classified as?

Answer 34

This is chamber music, written for a small group of musicians rather than a full orchestra.

Question 35

What is the metre of the piece?

Answer 35

The metre is 2/4.

Question 36

What rhythmic patterns are used in the piece?

Answer 36

The piece uses lots of triplets and dotted rhythms.

Question 37

What is notable about the harpsichord part?

Answer 37

The harpsichord part has lots of fast semiquaver runs.

Question 38

What is an anacrusis?

Answer 38

The first melody idea (subject) starts with an anacrusis.

Question 39

How could the piece be notated due to triplets?

Answer 39

Because of the large number of triplets, the piece could also be notated in 6/8 time.

Question 40

How were dotted rhythms performed in the Baroque era?

Answer 40

In the Baroque era, the dotted quaver-semiquaver grouping would have been performed in triplet rhythm.

Question 41

What are the dynamic markings in the score used for?

Answer 41

There are only a few dynamic markings on the score, mostly for balance reasons.

Question 42

Why are there no dynamic markings for the harpsichord?

Answer 42

The harpsichord used in this piece could not vary dynamics; it stayed at one volume.

Question 43

What is the form of the piece?

Answer 43

The piece is in ternary form (ABA).

Question 44

What characterizes the opening A section?

Answer 44

The opening A section begins in a fugal style.

Question 45

What is the B section’s key and theme?

Answer 45

The B section is in the relative minor key and contains a new theme similar to the first theme in the A section.