A Level Music: Brandenburg Concerto No 4: Movement 1 by Bach
- Created by: ChloeGerrard
- Created on: 11-06-14 17:00
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- Brandenburg Concerto No 4, Movement I by Bach
- Background
- Concerto Grosso
- Small group of soloists (the concertino) accompanied by string orchestra and continuo (the ripieno).
- Bach's Brandenburg Concerti are known for variety of soloists employed, virtuosity required, and level of craftsmanship
- Composed between 1717-1721 whilst Bach was Kapellmeister for a Prince in Germany
- Concerto: popular: gave opportunity for soloists to display virtuosity in ensembles
- Resources
- Modern score: 2 flutes, violin I, violin II, viola, violincello, double bass and continuo
- No dynamic markings: Bach achieves contrast through his texture
- Exception: bars 257-263
- 2 flutes almost always play together: exception: bars 257-263
- At top of texture: can be easily heard above strings
- Range: F above middle C to top G (2 octaves higher)
- Principal violin: solo work in addition to playing in trio with flutes. Only instrument to be virtuosic: bars 83-124 (elaborate string crossing) and non-stop demisemiquavers: bars 187-208
- Ripieno players provide...
- Dynamic contrast, harmonic support and textural contrast
- Harpsichord provides harmonies
- Violincello and double bass: provide bass line throughout
- Structure
- Ritornello form
- Vordersatz: head motif: memorable musical gesture that defines the key and sets the style
- Fortspinnung: spinning out: continuation from head motif spun out of repetition and development of short phrases
- Epilog: closing theme: breaks momentum or Fortspinnung and leads to a structural cadence
- Intergrates solo and tutti sections
- Ritornello form
- Tonality
- Modulates frequently to related keys
- G (tonic), D (dominant), C (subdominant), relative minors (E, B and A minor)
- G Major
- Reinforced by cadences and pedals
- Modulates frequently to related keys
- Harmony
- Functional: opening 'motto' theme based on perfect cadence (I-V-I)
- Harmonic sequences: bars 13-18
- Circle of 5ths: bars 175-178
- Dissonance: 7th chords and suspensions: bars 69-70
- Diatonic
- Except for neopolitan chord: bar 155 and diminished 7th: bar 195
- Harmonic rhythm is mostly one chord per bar : opening, yet speeds up towards cadences at end of sections: bars 79-83 where there is a chord every quaver
- Lengthy dominant pedals: bars 211-222
- Avoidance of cadences to keep music moving forward: bars 302-322
- Rhythm
- Patterns established at start (typical of Baroque)
- Continuous semiquavers in melody
- Semiquavers in all parts: bar 38
- Ties across bar line produce syncopation: bars 43-46: add energy and direction
- Hemiola: sense of 3-time to 2-time in final bars of each ritornello section: bars 79-80
- Metre
- 3/8
- Feels as one dotted crotchet beat per bar
- Gives a joyous feel to the rhythmic flow
- Textures
- Bottom 3 staves closely linked
- Bass line underpins texture
- Sounds octave lower than written: normally only supports texture when ripieno plays
- Homophonic: bars 1-3 flute melody
- Monophonic: bars 84, 86
- Contrapuntal: bars 13-22
- Antiphonal: bars 257-262
- Melody
- Simply shaped melodies based on scales and broken chords
- Recognisable: consistently used
- Recurrent interval of 3rd: appears in first 3 notes of violin and colours additional material in ritornello
- 5 principal motifs
- Extended through:
- Sequence: bars 13-18
- 'Results in 'super melodies' that move slowly across long passages: bars 13-23
- Inversion: bar 21 in flute 1
- Repetition: bars 7-12 or 1-6
- Sequence: bars 13-18
- Extended through:
- Background
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