Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major - Johann Sebastian Bach Flashcards

1
Q

Which bars are Section A (part1) comprised of?

A

bars 1-78

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2
Q

What is the speed of the piece?

A

Allegro - fast.

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3
Q

What key is Section A in?

A

The tonic, D major. It often modulates to the dominant - A major (e.g. bar 12) and the dominant of the dominant - E major.

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4
Q

How does section A begin (style)?

A

In a fugal style. A fugue is a complicated piece which uses lots of imitation throughout. It is not an ACTUAL FUGUE, but uses fugal techniques.

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5
Q

What is this piece (instruments)?

A

A Concerto Grosso - a group of soloists (a concertino) and a main body of accompanying instruments (a ripieno).
The concertino is comprised of a solo flute, a solo violin and the harpsichord.
The ripieno is comprised of a ripieno violin, a ripieno viola, a cello and a double bass.

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6
Q

What is the texture in bar 9?

A

a 4-part counter part with the solo instruments.

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7
Q

Which instruments are the first to enter in the piece?

A

the solo flute and the solo violin - bars 1-8 , playing in a two part imitation, the violin being the subject and the flute, the answer a 4th higher.

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8
Q

What is the role of the harpsichord in this piece?

A
  • soloist
  • accompanist
  • plays basso continuo - the bass - only plays it sometimes e.g. 79-85
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9
Q

Describe the rhythm in section A of the piece.

A
  • triplets - e.g. bar 2
  • dotted rhythms - e.g. bar 1
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10
Q

What elements at the start of the piece make it sound lively?

A
  • triplets - give it a 6/8 gigue feel
  • dotted rhythms
  • create a cheerful mood in the style of a jig
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11
Q

What is a gigue?

A

A baroque dance.

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12
Q

Describe the melody in section A.

A
  • stepwise conjunct melody - bar 15 (harpsichord)
  • some leaps of perfect 5ths - bar 3 - D-A
  • scalic runs (notes going up and down a scale) - bar 15
  • rising passages - bar 82
  • stretto - 64-67 and 220-225
  • dialogue (imitation between the violin and flute)
  • flute and violin sometimes double in unison - bar 37
  • ripieno strings- subject and answer - bar 29
  • flute and violin sometimes play in 3rds
  • trills - bar 19
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13
Q

What are the ornaments played in this piece?

A
  • trills - harpsichord - bar 19
  • appoggiatura - bar 90
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14
Q

What is the time signature throughout this piece?

A

simple, duple time : 2/4

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15
Q

How do the flute and violin play?

A

in 3rds - the harpsichord also does this in bars 18-24.

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16
Q

What rhythm does the harpsichord use?

A

sextuplet semiquavers - bar 15 and scalic passages (right and left hand) - bars 58-61

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17
Q

What is the texture?

A

The texture is mainly contrapuntal and polyphonic- but the piece does have regions which are more homophonic.

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18
Q

What is the texture in bars 10-29?

A

4-part counterpoint

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19
Q

What is the texture bar 29 onwards?

A

tutti - the entire ensemble playing, polyphonic.

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20
Q

What are the ripieno strings playing in bar 29?

A

subject and answer

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21
Q

What are the standard baroque chords?

A

I, IV AND V -> occasionally ii + vi including V7 (dominant 7th) chords -> mainly in root/1st inv.

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22
Q

What does the harpsichord have on its score?

A

figured bass (numbers) which help the harpsichordist to realise/ improvise, e.g. bars 29-36

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23
Q

The flute and the violin often double each other in unison. Give an example of this.

A

bar 37.

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24
Q

What features are there in Section A which heighten the tension?

A

stretto- at the end of section a (part1) - 64-67 and at the end of section b when section a (part2) is about to return - 220-225. this makes a thick, contrapuntal and polyphonic texture to heighten the tension and climax.

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25
Q

what is stretto?

A

overlapping and quick entries of the subject which occur in this passage to heighten tension - bars 64 and 67.

26
Q

What bars is Section B comprised of?

A

79-232

27
Q

What is the key of section b?

A

b minor - the relative minor with modulations to the dominant of B minor, F# minor e.g. bar 97

28
Q

What is a key feature of Section B?

A

Fragments from the theme in the A section make frequent appearances (second theme returns - bar 148 in the dominant A major in the ripieno)

29
Q

What is the theme of section B?

A

the theme is variation of the opening subject and is first heard in the flute.

30
Q

What ornament is used in section B?

A

appoggiaturas - a key feature - e.g. bar 90

31
Q

what is an appoggiatura?

A

(to lean) it is an ornament which takes half the value it precedes.

32
Q

what is the texture of section B?

A

still polyphonic, but has a lighter texture and has some sections which are more homophonic.

33
Q

How does Section B open?

A

with the melody played by the solo flute (bar 79-89) and accompanied by a tonic pedal (1 quaver per bar) + broken chord triplet patterns in the harpsichord and violin.

34
Q

what is the dynamics of the violin in section b?

A

‘piano’ not to overpower flute - bar 79, clear that the flute has the melody.

35
Q

what note is the tonic pedal on in bars 79-85?

A

b, the bass line.

36
Q

what accompanies the violin in bar 89 when it takes over the melody?

A

the other instruments are softer and it is accompanied by a tonic pedal and triplet patterns in the harpsichord and doubled by the ripieno violins.

37
Q

what is a key difference between section a and section b?

A
  • no countermelodies
  • no busy semiquaver runs
38
Q

which bar is the repeated tonic pedal in bass on F#?

A

97

39
Q

what is the texture in bars 106-109?

A

varied texture with the use of anti-phonal writing or dialogue between harpsichord and the rest of the ensemble. the melodic ideas are passed back and forth - bars 106-109

40
Q

what are rising sequences?

A

same short phrase repeated several times, transposed up one note each time. e.g. bar 114

41
Q

describe the melody in section b.

A
  • theme : variation of opening subject and is first heard in flute.
  • appoggiaturas : bar 90
  • opens with melody : bar 79-89
  • violin takes over melody - other instruments softer - bar 89
  • rising sequences - bar 114
  • trill - 177
42
Q

name a feature of the texture in section b.

A

-bars 117-127 - only concertino instruments play
- from bar 128 - tutti

43
Q

what is suspension and when is it used?

A
  • accented non-chord tones occurring on downbeats
    -bars 129-130 - occasional use of suspension is a key feature of baroque music.
44
Q

what is suspension?

A

suspension is prolonging a note to create dissonance with the next chord

45
Q

when is the melody reinforced in section b?

A

flute and violin in unison- bar 130- ripieno instruments rejoin.

46
Q

name a homophonic section in section b.

A

bars 128-147 - harpsichord joins basso continuo to provide chords , more homophonic texture than polyphonic.

47
Q

when are demi-semi quavers used?

A

bar 139

48
Q

when does the ripieno take the second theme and appoggiaturas?

A

bars 148-153

49
Q

when is the style ‘cantabile’ and what does it mean?

A

bar 148, in a singing style

50
Q

when is canon used in this piece and what is canon?

A

canon is a piece of music where the melody is played and then imitated (one or more times) after a short delay - strict imitation. bars 163-171

51
Q

when is the harpsichord solo section?

A

163-183

52
Q

what and when is the subject developed?

A

stretched/augmented rhythm - bars 193-195.

53
Q

describe the texture near the end of section b.

A
  • 3-part counterpoint - harpsichord and concertino - 199-208
  • polyphonic dialogue between flute and violin (199-208)
  • tutti - everyone playing - bars 220-225
54
Q

describe the melody near the end of section b.

A
  • chromatic feel -> music passes through several keys
55
Q

how does section b end?

A

a perfect cadence in B minor. (230-232)

56
Q

which bars does section a (part 2) consist of?

A

bars 233-310/end

57
Q

describe the melody in the section a repeat.

A
  • first melody idea (subject) starts with anacrusis
58
Q

what is anacrusis?

A

a pick up beat

59
Q

what is a major dynamic feature of baroque music?

A

sudden changes of terraced dynamics - expressive style typical of some early music in which volume levels shift abruptly from soft to loud and back without gradual crescendos and decrescendos.

60
Q

what is the basso continuo in bars 261-269?

A

bass and harpsichord act as the basso continuo -> bass instruments play a bass line and the harpsichord ‘realises’ the chords on top when it is not playing a solo part.