October 12, 2015. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, part II.Today we’ll complete the article on Bach’s great Brandenburg Concertos, covering numbers 3 through 6.You may read the introduction here.As before, we illustrate the concertos with live performances by the Orchestra Mozart of Bologna, Claudio Abbado conducting.
Concerto No. 3 in G major
Believed to be one of the earliest of the Brandenburg Concertos to be written, the Third in G major (here) is scored solely for stings--three each of violins, violas, and cellos--and continuo. Yet, Bach masterfully overcomes the homogenous sound of his chosen ensemble by constantly varying the juxtaposition of the parts. Throughout the entirety of the work no instrument is rarely singled out as a soloist, and it thus sometimes described as "symphonic." Instead, the instruments engage in delightful conversation amongst themselves, whether in sections (as in much of the finale), or more individually, resulting in masterful contrapuntal imitations. Indeed, within the first movement, the ensemble even provides its own ritornello with a unison passage that marks key structural divisions.
However, despite its rich and warm sonorities and inviting melodies, the work has long vexed scholars and performers alike. Standing betwixt its two radiant G major movements is a curious, solitary measure in Adagio tempo and consisting of nothing more than a Phrygian half cadence in E minor. Such a cadence frequently concluded a penultimate movement in Baroque times, preparing the way for an ensuing major key finale. And, one might even suspect that a slow movement is perhaps missing from the Concerto if the measure in question did not occur in the middle of a page. Furthermore, scholars have noted that some of Bach's contemporaries, including Corelli, inserted bare cadences in their scores as well. Since this lone measure is hardly an adequate respite, it is quite possible the cadence was meant to frame or conclude a cadenza improvised by one of the performers. Indeed, it is likely the cadence was a form of shorthand that performers of the period would have easily understood, though the certainty of such is perhaps lost, like much of Baroque performance practices were as the 18th century came to close.
With the lack of any certainty in what Bach's expectations were, actual performance practice of the enigmatic Adagio varies. Some, adhering to a strict interpretation, perform the measure as is with no further ornamentation. Others provide varying degrees of embellishment, from simple ornamentations of the two chords by the harpsichord or violin, to lengthy extemporized fantasias that recall themes from the first movement in a manner akin to cadenzas of Classical and Romantic concerti. On the other hand, some go even further and attempt to restore the balance of the standard three-movement concerto form by inserting a slow movement from one of Bach's (usually lesser known) other works. Given the importance of improvisation during the Baroque era, from ornamentation to figured bass realization and even extemporized full-fledged fugues, it is likely that embellishment of the cadence or an improvised cadenza are perhaps the closest solution to Bach's original intentions (continue).
Concerto No. 4 in G major
Like the earlier Second concerto, the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto (here) likewise presents a mystery to modern interpreters. Bach scored the work for three soloists, a ripieno of strings, and the usual continuo. However, two of the soloists are indicated to be performed on “flauti d’echo” (the other soloist is a violin). No such instrument is known today by that name, and there are, consequently, various interpretations of what Bach meant. It is generally accepted Bach intended for the two parts to be performed on recorders, since when he reworked the concerto in Leipzig for harpsichord, he labeled the same two parts as “flauti à bec,” and it is this instrument which is often heard in modern performances and recordings (though, the transverse flute is occasionally met with). However, another interpretation focuses on the middle movement, in which the “flauti d’echo” are the principal soloists, and posits that Bach meant for the parts to be performed at a distance, thus creating an interesting aural effect. An even more radical interpretation suggests that Bach had in mind the flageolet, a novelty instrument of the time though one with no history of being performed professionally. Yet despite Bach’s enigmatic choice of instruments, the most prominent of the soloists is the violin, at least in the outer movements of the concerto, where it is given a particularly virtuosic part. Quite remarkably, it is even more demanding than those in Bach’s actual violin concertos, leading some to consider the work a violin concerto.
Opening the concerto is an Allegro in triple meter which continues the jovial character of the previous concerto. Developed around the stepwise progression through the interval of a third heard in the opening measures, it is an interesting movement in its overall structure. An exceptionally lengthy tutti, in which the movement’s melodic material is presented, opens the work, but is not given a full return until the close of the Allegro. Between these statements, Bach develops his musical ideas with intricate counterpoint amongst the soloists and occasional interjections from the orchestra. In this manner, the movement looks forward to the concertos of the Classical and Romantic era.
Contrary to usual Baroque practice, Bach employs the entire ensemble in the central Andante movement, and thereby provides a far richer backdrop against which the soloists weave their individual lines than the mere continuo could on its own. This placid E minor movement places the two recorders front and center as the solo violin predominantly joins the first violins of the ripieno. However, the real gem of the concerto is, despite the opening Allegro’s forward-looking form, the Presto finale. A masterful synthesis of fugue and the virtuosity expected of the concerto, the movement is a remarkable display of invention, and a testament to Bach’s masterful handling of melody and form. The ripieno leads the fugue but the soloists enter soon after. Bach then carefully aligns the concertante and ritornello sections of the movement with the various section of the fugue.
Concerto No. 5 in D major
Of all the Brandenburg Concertos, the fifth, in D major (here), is the most historically important. Thought to be the last written, Bach likely composed the work to demonstrate the new harpsichord which he had brought back from Berlin for the Köthen court. Despite the presence of both a solo flute and violin, the harpsichord is the real feature of the work. For much of the concerto, it takes on a remarkably central role as a soloist in its own right, and the virtuosity of the part suggests that Bach wrote the part for himself to play. It is the earliest known example of the harpsichord being granted such independence, and thus is viewed as the progenitor of the Classical keyboard concerto, which would later be perfected at the hands of Mozart. For this reason, the Fifth was the only one of the Brandenburg concertos not to fall into obscurity with the rest of Bach's music after the composer's death.
The opening Allegro movement is exceptionally vast, far surpassing the ritornello form typical of the Baroque concerto. Though the harpsichord begins as a part of the accompaniment during the initial statement of the movement’s theme, it quickly breaks free of these constraints. Having gained its status as a soloist, it only occasionally subsides back into an accompanimental role but never for any great length of time. Instead, it weaves its own delightful figurations and joins in an exciting dialogue with the other two soloists. Eventually, the entire ensemble begins to fade as the harpsichord’s part becomes increasingly elaborate and ornamented until it develops into a remarkable cadenza of considerable length. Once the cadenza ends, the ensemble returns to give a restatement of the opening theme, unheard since the first bars of the movement.
The Affettuoso middle movement, in B minor, likewise ignores expectations. Scored for the three soloists, the harpsichord consistently departs from its role as accompanist to enliven the musical texture with its own melodic statements and intricate figurations. Bach once again employs fugue as the formal framework of the finale. The violin and flute lead the fugue, after which the remaining two voices are picked up by the harpsichord. The latter instrument, just as much as before, remains an active participant in the contrapuntal dialogue of the movement, subsiding only occasionally back into the accompaniment during some of its ritornello sections.
Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major
Like the Third, the Sixth Concerto (here) is scored for strings alone, yet the two could not be more different. Bach here omits altogether the bright sonorities of the violin, and instead scores the work for two viola da braccio (the equivalent of the modern-day viola), two viola da gambas, cello, and continuo—a curious choice of instrumentation to say the least. While the Sixth is considered to be the earliest of the Brandenburg Concertos, it nevertheless, in this regard, still manages to look forward to the darkened timbres so often associated with the Romantic era.
The work is also not without its significance. In the Baroque period, the viola was virtually relegated to filling in the middle part of the harmony. Even when it had its own melodic material, it was very often a mere doubling of another instrument. Bach himself confessed that the viola was the favorite of his instruments, and by omitting the violin from his score, he raised the instrument to being the principal bearers of melody. Furthermore, it is known that Prince Leopold employed two accomplished violists in his orchestra.
The liberated violas lead the opening movement with a canon at the unison and the distance of only a single eighth note while the rest of the ensemble provides a steady, unrelenting harmonic pulse. The canon functions as the movement’s ritornello, separating sections of even greater contrapuntal interest as the two violas da gamba and the cello enter the musical dialogue. The central Adagio ma non tanto adopts the key of E-flat major and features the two violas solely as the principal soloists of this wonderfully beautiful movement. The violas only momentarily relinquish control of the melody towards the end of the movement when the cello, which thus far had contented itself with modestly embellishing the continuo, for two measures utters a poignantly arching line before subsiding back into its accompanimental role. Lastly, the Allegro finale embraces the spirit of the gigue. Bach again places the greatest portion of the melodic instrument upon his favorite instrument, relegating instead the violas da gamba into the accompaniment, and allowing the cello only occasional participation in the movement's contrapuntal dialogue.
Brandenburg Concertos, part II
October 12, 2015. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, part II. Today we’ll complete the article on Bach’s great Brandenburg Concertos, covering numbers 3 through 6. You may read the introduction here. As before, we illustrate the concertos with live performances by the Orchestra Mozart of Bologna, Claudio Abbado conducting.
Concerto No. 3 in G major
Believed to be one of the earliest of the Brandenburg Concertos to be written, the Third in G major (here) is scored solely for stings--three each of violins, violas, and cellos--and continuo. Yet, Bach
masterfully overcomes the homogenous sound of his chosen ensemble by constantly varying the juxtaposition of the parts. Throughout the entirety of the work no instrument is rarely singled out as a soloist, and it thus sometimes described as "symphonic." Instead, the instruments engage in delightful conversation amongst themselves, whether in sections (as in much of the finale), or more individually, resulting in masterful contrapuntal imitations. Indeed, within the first movement, the ensemble even provides its own ritornello with a unison passage that marks key structural divisions.
However, despite its rich and warm sonorities and inviting melodies, the work has long vexed scholars and performers alike. Standing betwixt its two radiant G major movements is a curious, solitary measure in Adagio tempo and consisting of nothing more than a Phrygian half cadence in E minor. Such a cadence frequently concluded a penultimate movement in Baroque times, preparing the way for an ensuing major key finale. And, one might even suspect that a slow movement is perhaps missing from the Concerto if the measure in question did not occur in the middle of a page. Furthermore, scholars have noted that some of Bach's contemporaries, including Corelli, inserted bare cadences in their scores as well. Since this lone measure is hardly an adequate respite, it is quite possible the cadence was meant to frame or conclude a cadenza improvised by one of the performers. Indeed, it is likely the cadence was a form of shorthand that performers of the period would have easily understood, though the certainty of such is perhaps lost, like much of Baroque performance practices were as the 18th century came to close.
With the lack of any certainty in what Bach's expectations were, actual performance practice of the enigmatic Adagio varies. Some, adhering to a strict interpretation, perform the measure as is with no further ornamentation. Others provide varying degrees of embellishment, from simple ornamentations of the two chords by the harpsichord or violin, to lengthy extemporized fantasias that recall themes from the first movement in a manner akin to cadenzas of Classical and Romantic concerti. On the other hand, some go even further and attempt to restore the balance of the standard three-movement concerto form by inserting a slow movement from one of Bach's (usually lesser known) other works. Given the importance of improvisation during the Baroque era, from ornamentation to figured bass realization and even extemporized full-fledged fugues, it is likely that embellishment of the cadence or an improvised cadenza are perhaps the closest solution to Bach's original intentions (continue).
Concerto No. 4 in G major
Like the earlier Second concerto, the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto (here) likewise presents a mystery to modern interpreters. Bach scored the work for three soloists, a ripieno of strings, and the usual continuo. However, two of the soloists are indicated to be performed on “flauti d’echo” (the other soloist is a violin). No such instrument is known today by that name, and there are, consequently, various interpretations of what Bach meant. It is generally accepted Bach intended for the two parts to be performed on recorders, since when he reworked the concerto in Leipzig for harpsichord, he labeled the same two parts as “flauti à bec,” and it is this instrument which is often heard in modern performances and recordings (though, the transverse flute is occasionally met with). However, another interpretation focuses on the middle movement, in which the “flauti d’echo” are the principal soloists, and posits that Bach meant for the parts to be performed at a distance, thus creating an interesting aural effect. An even more radical interpretation suggests that Bach had in mind the flageolet, a novelty instrument of the time though one with no history of being performed professionally. Yet despite Bach’s enigmatic choice of instruments, the most prominent of the soloists is the violin, at least in the outer movements of the concerto, where it is given a particularly virtuosic part. Quite remarkably, it is even more demanding than those in Bach’s actual violin concertos, leading some to consider the work a violin concerto.
Opening the concerto is an Allegro in triple meter which continues the jovial character of the previous concerto. Developed around the stepwise progression through the interval of a third heard in the opening measures, it is an interesting movement in its overall structure. An exceptionally lengthy tutti, in which the movement’s melodic material is presented, opens the work, but is not given a full return until the close of the Allegro. Between these statements, Bach develops his musical ideas with intricate counterpoint amongst the soloists and occasional interjections from the orchestra. In this manner, the movement looks forward to the concertos of the Classical and Romantic era.
Contrary to usual Baroque practice, Bach employs the entire ensemble in the central Andante movement, and thereby provides a far richer backdrop against which the soloists weave their individual lines than the mere continuo could on its own. This placid E minor movement places the two recorders front and center as the solo violin predominantly joins the first violins of the ripieno. However, the real gem of the concerto is, despite the opening Allegro’s forward-looking form, the Presto finale. A masterful synthesis of fugue and the virtuosity expected of the concerto, the movement is a remarkable display of invention, and a testament to Bach’s masterful handling of melody and form. The ripieno leads the fugue but the soloists enter soon after. Bach then carefully aligns the concertante and ritornello sections of the movement with the various section of the fugue.
Concerto No. 5 in D major
Of all the Brandenburg Concertos, the fifth, in D major (here), is the most historically important. Thought to be the last written, Bach likely composed the work to demonstrate the new harpsichord which he had brought back from Berlin for the Köthen court. Despite the presence of both a solo flute and violin, the harpsichord is the real feature of the work. For much of the concerto, it takes on a remarkably central role as a soloist in its own right, and the virtuosity of the part suggests that Bach wrote the part for himself to play. It is the earliest known example of the harpsichord being granted such independence, and thus is viewed as the progenitor of the Classical keyboard concerto, which would later be perfected at the hands of Mozart. For this reason, the Fifth was the only one of the Brandenburg concertos not to fall into obscurity with the rest of Bach's music after the composer's death.
The opening Allegro movement is exceptionally vast, far surpassing the ritornello form typical of the Baroque concerto. Though the harpsichord begins as a part of the accompaniment during the initial statement of the movement’s theme, it quickly breaks free of these constraints. Having gained its status as a soloist, it only occasionally subsides back into an accompanimental role but never for any great length of time. Instead, it weaves its own delightful figurations and joins in an exciting dialogue with the other two soloists. Eventually, the entire ensemble begins to fade as the harpsichord’s part becomes increasingly elaborate and ornamented until it develops into a remarkable cadenza of considerable length. Once the cadenza ends, the ensemble returns to give a restatement of the opening theme, unheard since the first bars of the movement.
The Affettuoso middle movement, in B minor, likewise ignores expectations. Scored for the three soloists, the harpsichord consistently departs from its role as accompanist to enliven the musical texture with its own melodic statements and intricate figurations. Bach once again employs fugue as the formal framework of the finale. The violin and flute lead the fugue, after which the remaining two voices are picked up by the harpsichord. The latter instrument, just as much as before, remains an active participant in the contrapuntal dialogue of the movement, subsiding only occasionally back into the accompaniment during some of its ritornello sections.
Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major
Like the Third, the Sixth Concerto (here) is scored for strings alone, yet the two could not be more different. Bach here omits altogether the bright sonorities of the violin, and instead scores the work for two viola da braccio (the equivalent of the modern-day viola), two viola da gambas, cello, and continuo—a curious choice of instrumentation to say the least. While the Sixth is considered to be the earliest of the Brandenburg Concertos, it nevertheless, in this regard, still manages to look forward to the darkened timbres so often associated with the Romantic era.
The work is also not without its significance. In the Baroque period, the viola was virtually relegated to filling in the middle part of the harmony. Even when it had its own melodic material, it was very often a mere doubling of another instrument. Bach himself confessed that the viola was the favorite of his instruments, and by omitting the violin from his score, he raised the instrument to being the principal bearers of melody. Furthermore, it is known that Prince Leopold employed two accomplished violists in his orchestra.
The liberated violas lead the opening movement with a canon at the unison and the distance of only a single eighth note while the rest of the ensemble provides a steady, unrelenting harmonic pulse. The canon functions as the movement’s ritornello, separating sections of even greater contrapuntal interest as the two violas da gamba and the cello enter the musical dialogue. The central Adagio ma non tanto adopts the key of E-flat major and features the two violas solely as the principal soloists of this wonderfully beautiful movement. The violas only momentarily relinquish control of the melody towards the end of the movement when the cello, which thus far had contented itself with modestly embellishing the continuo, for two measures utters a poignantly arching line before subsiding back into its accompanimental role. Lastly, the Allegro finale embraces the spirit of the gigue. Bach again places the greatest portion of the melodic instrument upon his favorite instrument, relegating instead the violas da gamba into the accompaniment, and allowing the cello only occasional participation in the movement's contrapuntal dialogue.