Brandenburg Concerto Flashcards
What is a concerto?
A concerto is a piece of music written for one or more soloist instruments with an orchestra accompaniment.
What is a Concerto Grosso and how is it different from a modern concerto?
A Concerto Grosso is a concerto with a group of soloists. It is different to a modern concerto because modern concertos have only one soloist.
What is meant by a Ternary form?
A piece of music that has three sections to it (the third section usually being a repeat or continuation of the first).
What two key centers does the piece move through?
D Major and B Minor
Find two examples of different textures in the movement. Write a bar number followed by a single word describing the texture: Monophonic; Homophonic; Polyphonic
Bar 45: Polyphonic
Bar 2: Monophonic
Explain how this piece demonstrates some of the features of the Baroque style
Involves a harpsichord, an instrument in the Baroque period
No dynamics in this piece, the harpsichord had terraced dynamics
The music is written in a ternary form (A, B, A structure)
(Extra) What is patronage?
Patronage is the assistance and support that a group, individual, or organisation gives to another person. In music history, the term “patronage” refers to the financial assistance that those of the higher class provide. This is usually done with church popes or royalty.
(Extra) Who wrote the Brandenburg Concerto and why?
The Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 was written by Johann Sebastian Bach and was inspired by the new harpsichord Bach had ordered in Berlin made by Michael Mietke when he visited the Margrave. The concerto was ideal for showcasing a great harpsichord throughout the entire piece.
The middle section starts at bar 79. What is the key here? How does it relate to the opening of the movement?
B Minor Key – The middle section consists of a motif that relates back to the opening of the movement. This motif consists of a similar melodic shape as well as the same rhythm presented in the opening. This motif is played by the flute and then given to the main violin.
Starting at bar 189, the flute and solo violin play together. A bar later the harpsichord plays a similar phrase, imitating them. All three instruments have a minim in the second bar they play. Why does only the harpsichord play a trill over the minim?
Since the harpsichord lacks a feature in its build that allows it to play notes with varying durations, it cannot play a minim. Instead, it plays a trill, making the short-length notes move back and forth for two beats while still seeming like a long-held note.
In what way is the flute at bar 79 a variant of the opening theme? Name both a similarity or rhythm and of interval
The flute and opening theme share a series of quick, descending semiquaver notes, which gives them a similar beat.
Both the flute and the opening theme include a series of thirds as intervals. The thirds in the opening are ascending, whereas the thirds in bar 79 are descending.
Apart from playing the written notes, the harpsichordist was important in other ways. Describe one other role of the instrument.
Because of its significant and distinctive sound, the harpsichord is able to showcase the shape of the music and act as a conductor for the orchestra. The harpsichord/harpsichordist would cue tempo, dynamics, and any entrances and endings in passages.
