Brandenburg Concerto No.5 In D Major: Bach

Question 1

What is the structure of the piece?

Answer 1

Fugue and tenary. ABA a gigue dance

Question 2

What is the instrumentation?

Answer 2

Flute, violin, viola, cello, harpsichord

Question 3

What is the meter?

Answer 3

2/4 simple time

Question 4

What is the tempo?

Answer 4

Allegro-fast throughout

Question 5

What is the concertino?

Answer 5

Flute and violin 1

Question 6

What is ripiero?

Answer 6

Violin 2, viola, cello, harpsichord

Question 7

What are the features of Baroque music

Answer 7

-Basso continuo
-Harpsichord (figured bass)
-No dynamics
-Pedals
-sequences
-diatonic chords

-Ornaments(trills)

Question 8

What is the texture of A?

Answer 8

2 bars monophonic then at bar 3 there is a two part counter point at bar 8 it becomes a 3 part counter point and at bar 17 a four part counter point

Question 9

What is the role of the harpsichord?

Answer 9

Conductor, basso continuo, figured bass, accompaniment , soloist in some sections of the movement

Question 10

What is the texture of B?

Answer 10

Homophonic, includes dialoging, cannon and unisono

Question 11

What is the rhythm?

Answer 11

Mainly semiquavers, quavers and triplets

Question 12

What is the Melody at part A?

Answer 12

In the concertino, subject then tonal answer, leaps in bar 1 and then steps

Question 13

What is concerto grosso?

Answer 13

The concertino and ripieno

Question 14

What is the melody at B?

Answer 14

Lyrical with Scalia movement

Question 15

What type of cadences are there?

Answer 15

Perfect

Question 16

What is a fugue?

Answer 16

Musical form with an exposition, middle section and final section. The music is contrapuntal

Question 17

When was the Baroque era?

Answer 17

1600-1750

Question 18

Diatonic

Answer 18

Notes belonging to the key of the piece

Question 19

Monophonic

Answer 19

Single line of music playing

Question 20

Polyphonic

Answer 20

More than one melody playing at the same time. Entering at different times causing an overlap

Question 21

Sequence

Answer 21

Repetition of a musical phrase at a higher or lower pitch

Question 22

Pedal

Answer 22

Sustained note in bass part. Usually a tonic or dominant note

Question 23

Suspension

Answer 23

Prolonging a note to create dissonance

Question 24

Affection

Answer 24

Prevailing mood in a Baroque movement

Question 25

Antiphonal

Answer 25

Swapping between different musical groups e.g concertino and ripeno

Question 26

Dialoguging

Answer 26

Playing one after another

Question 27

What is the final movement like?

Answer 27

Fast and lively, allegro, D major

Question 28

Figured bass

Answer 28

Musical shorthand for keyboard

Question 29

Basso continuo

Answer 29

Continuous bass

Question 30

Subject

Answer 30

Short main theme of the fugue

Question 31

Fugal exposition

Answer 31

The initial statement of the subject and answer

Question 32

Close analysis of section A

Answer 32

Starts off like a fugal exposition. The subject is played in the first 2 bars. The characteristics for the melody are the off-beat semi-quavers on the dominant note A followed by the tonic D. The stepwise triplets giving the gigue feel. Ending on a tonic. Range of the melody is an octave Bar 3 there is an answer played by flute starting a fourth higher, starts on tonic D and ends on dominant A. During this the violin plays 4 detached quavers (countersubject) Bar 9 subject in left hand harpsichord starting on dominant. The answer is in the right hand, starting on tonic at bar 11. The length of the subject and answer sometimes overlapping (stretto) adds intensity.

Question 33

Stretto

Answer 33

Entries of a subject close together, heightening tension

Question 34

Countersubject

Answer 34

Melody played after a subject or answe

Question 35

What is the texture?

Answer 35

Whole movement is Contrapuntal and fugal

Question 36

What is the tonality of section A?

Answer 36

Section A opens and closes with tonic key D major. From bar 12 G# modulate the music to A major, a perfect cadence on bar 16 modulates to dominant key E major(secondary dominant). Perfect cadence in bar 24 bring us back to A major then the tonic key D major is reached in bar 37. Music moves straight to relative minor key a minor for section B

Question 37

What is the key of the music at B?

Answer 37

Relative minor. More lyrical

Question 38

Commentary on part B

Answer 38

Variant of subject is more lyrical accompanied by triplet quavers in both solo violins and harpsichord and a tonic pedal(B). The texture is lighter. Solo instruments engage in dialogue. Harpsichord has a solo playing a pattern of triplets and thirds . Two part counterpoint in the flute and violin followed by a rising sequence in the harpsichord. At bar 128 the flute and solo violin play in unison and the texture is full with passagework. There are rising scalic bass. At bar 163 there is a canon between the right and left hands of the harpsichord, with an interval of an octave. The last 8 bars feature rising sequences in the concertino parts, back to B minor and a full orchestra cadential.

Question 39

What is the texture of B?

Answer 39

Lighter than A. Opening bars have solo flute with accompaniment homophonic. Dialoguing between harpsichord, flute and violin. The flute and violin play in octaves with a contrapuntal texture. At the end texture increases to full orchestra

Question 40

What is the tonality of B?

Answer 40

Opens and ends in relative minor key B minor, tonal contrast to Section A. At bar 97 F# minor dominant of B minor. Perfect cadence and then modulates into A major and E minor. Moves back to B minor then to D major. Returns to F# minor. Chromatic in last section leads to a perfect cadence into B minor

Question 41

What was the custom for Barouque music?

Answer 41

To have one mood expressed (affection). The mood is upbeat and uplifting achieved through the gigue dance rhythm two beats of triplet quavers, the fast tempo and D major key suited to the string instruments

Question 42

What was the custom to dynamic in baroque?

Answer 42

No written dynamics. Terraced dynamics when music is soft with a few instruments and loud with all.