JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto

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  • JS Bach - Brandenburg Concerto
    • Structure
      • The structure of this movement is very different from the standard ritornello form found in theconcertos of composers such as Vivaldi.
    • Texture
      • Occasionally the flute and violin play in thirds. The harpsichord also does this.
      • Occasionally the flute and violin play in thirds. The harpsichord also does this.
      • The harpsichord plays in two-part counterpoint.
      • The texture is polyphonic/contrapuntal (i.e. contains several independent melodic strandssounding together).
      • The bass line for the new middle section theme has a tonic pedal on B.
      • When the ripieno is playing, the flute and violin sometimes double each other in unison (e.g.bar 33).
    • Melody
      • Much of the music is in conjunct (stepwise) style (e.g. bar 2), though there are leaps (e.g.fourths in bar 1).
      • Often the conjunct music is extended to scalic runs, especially in the harpsichord part.
      • There is a rising sequence at bar 137 (same short phrase repeated several times, going upone note each time).
      • There are occasional ornaments, with trills (e.g. bar 19) in the harpsichord part.
    • Tonality
      • This key is used for most of the two A sections.
      • The music is in D major.
      • The B section modulates to the dominant (A major) and relative minor (B minor).
      • The music is diatonic.
    • Harmony
      • Perfect cadences announce the ends of sections.
      • The harmony is functional.
      • The harmony uses mainly root position and first inversion chords.
      • The harmony uses the standard chords of the time, including dominant sevenths in variousinversions.
      • Suspensions are used occasionally (i.e. 9–8 suspension at bar 130).
    • Tempo, metre and rhythm
      • It uses triplets and dotted rhythm throughout.
      • The harpsichord part in particular has many semiquaver runs.
      • triplet rhythm – so the dotted quaver would be two-thirds of a beat, and the semiquaverwould be one-third of a beat.
      • The metre is 2/4 – two beats to the bar – but the music could also be notated in 6/8compound time. It is essentially a Baroque gigue (a dance in compound duple time).

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