jan 1, 1721 - Brandenburg Concerti BWV 1046-51
Description:
Stylistic Hybrids: The “Brandenburg” Concertos1. By combining elements of familiar styles in unfamiliar ways, Bach produced new
pieces that sounded somehow familiar, but not quite.
2. He put six concertos together in hopes of attaining a position in Berlin, but the concertos were never acknowledged or performed there. Their unusual scoring may be part of the reason.
a. Bach required different soloists for each, including rare instruments such as the violino piccolo.
b. The fifth has a written-out harpsichord part
c. The sixth does not include a violin part.
The Fifth Brandenburg Concerto
1. This atypical concerto is ambitious in several aspects.
a. Bach sets up the flute as protagonist, only to have the violin and harpsichord
join it.
b. Ultimately, the harpsichord proves the dominant instrument.
c. The second movement contrasts markedly with the first, a soft affettuoso in B
minor.
d. The last movement fuses different genres: fugue, concerto, and gigue.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1721
Now
~ 304 years ago