Brandenburg concerto No. 5 by JS Bach

Question 1

what instruments make up the concertino (solo players)?

Answer 1

flute, solo violin, harpsichord

Question 2

what instruments make up the ripieno?

Answer 2

ripieno violin, viola

Question 3

what makes up the basso continuo?

Answer 3

violincello, contrabasso, harpsichord

Question 4

what key is the piece in?

Answer 4

D major

Question 5

what form is the piece in?

Answer 5

ternary form, has a da capo at the end instead of rewriting the second A section

Question 6

how does the piece start?

Answer 6

with a two part imitation between the solo violin and the flute. the solo violin plays the subject and then the flute answers. it starts with a two part texture, and then increases to four parts (polyphony). it is in the fugal style

Question 7

what is the time signiture?

Answer 7

simple duple (2/4)

Question 8

what is very commonly used throughout the piece and what do they create?

Answer 8

triplets, which create a jolly atmosphere (as well as the dotted rhythms)

Question 9

what is the tempo marking?

Answer 9

allegro (fast)

Question 10

what happens to the entries of the dialogue towards the end of section a?

Answer 10

they overlap, stretto

Question 11

what does the figured bass do?

Answer 11

helps the harpsichordist to improvise/play the right harmonies

Question 12

what ornamentation does the harpsichord play and what does it help do?

Answer 12

trills, helps prolong the note

Question 13

how does section A end?

Answer 13

a perfect cadence in D major, after a rising sequence in A major

Question 14

what key does the b section start in?

Answer 14

B minor (the relative minor of D maj)

Question 15

what do the players add into the tune in the B section?

Answer 15

minims and appogiaturas

Question 16

how long is the tune in the B section?

Answer 16

8 bars

Question 17

what instrument plays the pedal and what note is it (in the b section)?

Answer 17

harpsichord, on b (so it’s a tonic pedal)

Question 18

what happens when the harpsichord gets the tune?

Answer 18

the are trills added and the music modulates to F# minor

Question 19

what does the accompaniment play if its not playing the tune or the pedal?

Answer 19

triplet broken chords

Question 20

what key is it in in bar 136?

Answer 20

a major

Question 21

what do the violin and flute do from bar 130 to bar 147?

Answer 21

they are doubling - playing the same thing at the same time

Question 22

what does the violin and flute play in bar 130 to bar 142?

Answer 22

rising sequence in unison

Question 23

what does the violin and flute play in bar 142-144?

Answer 23

inverted tonic pedal on A

Question 24

what kind of cadence do the flute and violin play in bar 147-148?

Answer 24

a perfect cadence in A

Question 25

what does the ripieno play after the flute and violin play the perfect cadence?

Answer 25

they play the middle section theme in A major

Question 26

what pedal does the harpsichord play in bar 217?

Answer 26

a dominant pedal on F# (in Bminor)

Question 27

what did bach mean when he wrote tasto solo in the bass line in bars 220-221?

Answer 27

he meant to not play any chords

Question 28

what does the harpsichord play at the end of the B section?

Answer 28

a d major chord