Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major Flashcards
1
Q
what is a concerto grosso?
A
a piece written for two or more soloists to be accompanied by an orchestra
2
Q
how did Bach break tradition in this concerto?
A
- the harpsichord plays both continuo accompaniment and virtuosic solos.
- the ripieno is comprised of only one violin.
3
Q
how does the harpsichord player know what notes to play?
A
there is figured bass which guides the harpsichord player as to what chord to play
4
Q
describe the structure of the piece
A
- largely in ternary form.
- section A begins in fugal style and mostly in D major.
- section B begins in the key of the relative minor (B minor) and a new theme is introduced. The piece is also in the dominant key of A major during parts of this section.
- section A is repeated
5
Q
describe the texture of the piece
A
- polyphonic texture.
- the piece opens in a fugal style. The piece is not actually a fugue, but uses fugal characteristics throughout.
- the flute and violin sometimes play in thirds and in unison.
- tonic pedals are used.
6
Q
describe the melody in the piece
A
- mostly conjunct movement but some leaps (e.g 4ths in bar 1)
- rapid scalic runs in the harpsichord part
- appoggiaturas, ornaments and trills in the harpsichord part
7
Q
describe the tonality of the piece
A
- the piece is in D major
- most of the section A’s are in D major
- section B modulates to the relative minor (B minor) and the dominant (A major)
- the music is diatonic and functional
8
Q
describe the harmony of the piece
A
- harmony is functional
- suspensions are occasionally used
- harmony is mostly based around I, IV and V chords
- perfect cadences announce the end of sections
9
Q
describe the tempo, metre and rhythm of the piece
A
- the piece is in 2/4 but sounds like 6/8 because each bar is made up of two quaver triplets. This makes the piece sound like a gigue.
- triplets and dotted rhythms are used throughout
- the harpsichord, in particular, uses semi-quaver rhythms frequently.