Brandenburg Concerto no.2 Bach

-       Composed in 1719 (Baroque: 1600-1750)

-       Concerto Grosso

o   Genre from middle to late Baroque

o   2 contrasting instrumental groups:

-concertino: small group of soloists

-ripieno: the tutti or full orchestra (usually strings)

o   And the basso continuo which is heard in almost all Baroque music and is made up of a harpsichord and cello, and provide harmonic filling and bass line respectively

context

-       2/2 time signature

-       moderate tempo

themes & motifs

-       8-bar main tutti Ritornello theme built from four 2-bar motifs

-       Episodes between each ritornello

structure & tonality

Bars

Section

Key

Other points

1-8

Ritornello 1

F major

Full statement of ritornello in tonic. There are four ideas in the main melody in the recorder – R1a (bars 1-2), R2a (3-4), R1b (5-6), R2b (7-8) – plus the semi-quaver idea in the continuo R3 (bars 1-2) and the quaver arpeggio ideas in the trumpet R4 (bars 1-2).

9-10

Episode 1a

F major

Played by concertino – the violin’s theme (S1) is introduced. It is played only by concertino instruments in this movement.

11-12

(ritornello opening)

F major

Tutti

13-14

Episode 1b

F major

Concertino: S1 in oboe, S2 in violin

15-16

(ritornello opening)

C major

Tutti

17-18

Episode 1c

C major

Concertino: S1 in recorder, S2 in oboe

19-20

(ritornello opening)

C major

Tutti

21-22

Episode 1d

C major

Concertino: S1 in trumpet, S2 in recorder

23-28

Ritornello 2

C major

Tutti

28-35

Episode 2

C major modulating to D minor

Includes a two-bar phrase of ritornello material in D minor (31-32). Suspension idea (S3) and imitative idea (S4) first appear in 33-35.

36-39

Ritornello 3

D minor

40-45

Episode 3a

D minor modulating to F major

Derived from ritornello material

46-49

(ritornello opening)

F major

Does not end in perfect cadence.

50-55

Episode 3b

F major modulating to B^b major

Uses ritornello material in a harmonic sequence; S5 and S6 are introduced.

56-59

Ritornello 4

B^b major

59-67

Episode 4a

B^b major modulating to C minor

Fugue-like texture using S1 and S2.

68-71

(ritornello opening)

C minor

Does not end in perfect cadence.

72-74

Episode 4b

C minor modulating to G minor

Similar to bars 50-55, using ritornello material, S5 and S6.

75-76

(ritornello opening)

G minor

Does not end in perfect cadence.

77-79

Episode 4c

G minor modulating to G minor

S3 suspensions reappear.

80-83

Ritornello 5

G minor

83-93

Episode 5a

G minor modulating to A minor

S3 suspensions at bars 90-93.

94-95

(ritornello opening)

A minor

Does not end in perfect cadence.

96-98

Episode 5b

A minor modulating to A minor

S3 suspensions, S4 and ritornello material used.

99-102

Ritornello 6

A minor

103-106

Ritornello 7 (opening)

F major

Near unison statement of ritornello theme in 103-104; doesn’t end up in a perfect cadence

107-114

Episode 6

F major modulating to F major

Similar to bars 50-55, using ritornello material, S5 and S6 mirrors bars 50-55.

115-118

Ritornello 7 (conclusion)

F major

melodic development

-       Motifs in counterpoint: 1^st and 5^th tutti motifs, bar 1 upper part and bass. This 5^th  bass motif is later heard in the tromba above the first (bar 19)

-       2^nd concertino theme bar 32 is accompanied by the ripieno bass playing part of the 2^nd tutti motif in a circle of fifths sequence.

-       5^th tutti motif in contrary motion (recorder/oboe/violin) as the tromba plays the 1^st (bar 40)

-       Bach “spins out” the 3^rd tutti motif between the soloists, above a chromatic harmonic sequence of dominant 7^th chords, leading to the same motif appearing in the ripieno bass in B^b major (bars 50-57)

-       Extra notes added to the 1^st tutti motif (D, bars 86-87 solo violin)

-       1^st tutti motif in canon (bars 87-88 ripieno bass leading off, followed by tromba 2 beats after). This is followed up later by a double canon for the soloists (bar 93 beat 4 recorder/violin in 6ths, tromba/oboe in 3rds 2 beats after).

harmony

-       Bars 1-8 – entirely diatonic, mostly primary triads in root position and 1^st inversion.

o   Dissonance results from passing notes and auxiliary notes (bar 3 recorder/oboe/violin)

o   Accented passing notes decorating th cadence mentioned above (bar 8 B^b over the F major chord resolving to the A, recorder/oboe/violin.

-       Continuo bass part also decorated with passing notes (example: bar 9 beat 2 (A) and bar 9 beat 4)

-       Modulations to related keys confirmed by perfect cadences (example: dominant C major bar 28, relative minor (D) bar 39).

-       Bars 32-36 – complete circle of fifths starting and ending on D minor chord. This is most clearly seen in the violone part.

-       There are also chromatic chords and progressions

o   2-bar sequence of dominant 7ths.

o   Bar 112 – diminished 7^th chord on B^natural

-       Bar 64 recorder – chain of 9-8 suspensions.

texture

-       Bars 1-2 – two of the ritornello motifs are heard in counterpoint together in the upper parts and the cello/violone.

-       Bars 9-22 – contrast in textures between solo passages with continuo and alternating tutti interjections.

-       Bars 32 (beat 3)-35 – 2^nd concertino theme heard in antiphonal imitation (tromba and oboe) with the following accompaniments:

o   Double-stopped violin

o   Counterpoint from the ritornello bass theme first heard in bars 1-2 played in parallel 3rds (recorder and continuo)

o   Ripieno violins play sustained notes to fill in the harmony and bind the other independent lines together

-       Bars 50-55 – a more homophonic accompaniment can be heard underneath the soloists’ polyphony

o   Detached chords, ripieno strings

o   Repeated cello/violone bass notes

o   Ripieno 1^st violin outlines the harmony in syncopated crotchets

-       Bars 70-71 – antiphonal octave G’s between upper and lower ripieno strings/continuo

-       Bar 87 beat 4 – canon between violone/continuo and tromba half a bar later

-       Bar 93 beat 4 – double canon between recorder/violin and tromba/oboe, each pair moving in parallel motion

-       Bar 102 beat 4 – 1^st ritornello motif heard in unison across all parts including the continuo harpsichord (‘tasto solo’ = play the notes with no chords)

rhythm

-       The time signature is “cut time” which usually means 2 minims in a bar. However, Bach does not give a tempo marking and most performances given today have a moderate 4 in a bar pulse.

-       The continuo cello and violone parts move mostly in quavers and semiquavers, which drives the music onwards/forwards with a purpose.

-       The 1^st and 3^rd ritornello motifs both feature dactylic rhythmic patterns (ie long-short-short – or a quaver followed by 2 semi-quavers)

-       All of the thematic material is anacrusic, starting with an upbeat.

Syncopated crotchet accompaniment (example: bars 50-55 ripieno 1^st violin)

context

-       Calm and expressive andante

-       Relative minor of F major is D minor, to contrast with the more vigorous outer movements

-       The tromba and ripieno strings do not play here, leaving a more intimate chamber-like ensemble of recorder, oboe, violin and continuo

structure and tonality

Bar

Key

Relationship to tonic

1

D minor

Tonic (i)

14-15

A minor

Dominant minor (v)

22-23

C major

Key of the flattened leading note (VII) – or relative major of the dominant minor

32-33

B^b major

Submediant (VI) – or dominant of relative major

42-43

G minor

Subdominant (iv)

64-65

D major

Tonic (i)

-       Fugal discussion of two simple melodic ideas

Although the continuo never plays either of these melodies and remains in its role as accompanist, the three solo parts bear many of the hallmarks of a fugue as outlined below.

-       Bars 1-7 – exposition, D minor. The violin announces the fugue subject, followed immediately by real answers in the tonic from the oboe and recorder. During these answers the countersubject is introduced (violin bars 3 (beat 3)-5 (beat 1), oboe bars 5 (beat 3)-7 (beat 1)

-       Bars 8-23 – episode, during which the key moves through A minor and cadences in C major. The subject is developed in a series of new variants

-       Bars 23 (beat 3)-33 – middle entries, in C major and modulating to B^b major. The subject is varied again in the violin ad recorder, but the oboe restates the original in a brief return to the tonic (bar 27 beat 3)

-       Bar 33-37 – brief episode where the countersubject is varied and passed around the soloists in a circle of fifths

-       Bar 37 (beat 3)-43 – middle entries in G minor

-       Bar 43 (beat 3)-57 – episode, starting with the oboe playing a subject variant from bar 7 beat 3 in the tonic, before an extended discussion of the countersubject across a complete circle of fifths ending on V of D minor

-       Bars 57 (beat 3)-65 – final entries in the tonic first in the violin, followed by the oboe. The last recorder entry is an extended cadential version of the subject, ending on a tierce de Picardie at bar 65.

melodic development

-       Subject

-       Mostly conjunct, narrow range of a minor 6^th, anacrusic, diatonic, anapaestic rhythmic figure (bar 2 beat 3) (two semi-quavers followed by one quaver), decorated at the end with a trill and an accented passing note (E, bar 3 beat 2)

-       Countersubject

-       Also mostly conjunct and anacrusic. Two short falling figures, which are either a suspension or an appoggiatura the second is a decorated descending sequence of the first.

-       The opening F-F-E figure was originally heard in the 1^st movement (bars 63 beat 4-65, recorder) and could be thought of as a motif that unifies the concert as a whole

-       Use of crotchets rests contrasts with the subject and creates holes in the texture so that each part can be heard more clearly

(several variants of subject and countersubject are heard as the movement progresses)

-       Subject

-       Bar 7 beat 3 recorder – now in A minor, the first quaver is replaced by two semi-quavers. Also note the expressive falling diminished 4^th C-G# bar 8 beat 3. Heard again in the tonic later (bar 43 beat 3 oboe)

-       Bar 9 beat 3 oboe – the first interval in the anapaestic figure is widened to a perfect 5^th, and the crotchet from bar 3 beat 1 is replaced by two quavers forming an additional accented passing note in a descending scale

-       Bar 13 beat 3 recorder – a shorter cadential variant ending more decisively as a crotchet on the first beat of the bar

-       Bar 23 beat 3 violin – the rhythm of bar 3 has been elaborated with two dactylic patterns. Imitated by the recorder two bars later

-       Bar 61 beat 3 recorder – extended to a 4-bar phrase by repeating the anapaestic figure before cadencing on the tonic decorated with an anticipation bar 64 beat 3

-       Countersubject

-       Bar 7 beat 1 violin – instead of falling, the appoggiatura rises to the tonic

-       Bar 19 beat 3 oboe/violin – played in parallel 3rds

-       Bar 33 beat 2 oboe – starts one beat earlier with an additional crotchet. This variant is passed around the soloists in a circle of fifths sequence with parallel 3rds and 6ths

-       Bar 50 beat 3 – a series of sequential double suspensions passed between the soloists in pairs

harmony

-       Diatonic, with modulations confirmed by cadences (example: Ic-V-I in A minor bars 14-15)

-       Cadence points like the previous example also contain dissonance resulting from the polyphonic lines of the soloists:

o   Parallel 9ths (bar 14 oboe and continuo cello)

o   The violin C at the end of bar 14 clashes with the E major chord played by the continuo harpsichord

o   The A minor chord on the next beat (bar 15 beat 1) has two accented passing notes running through it (oboe and violin in 3rds) before briefly resolving onto harmony notes.

-       Circle of fifths sequence – a complete circle can be traced, starting and ending on A (bars 49-56 cello)

-       Interrupted cadence V-VI in D minor bars 62-63 helps to extend the final phrase by delaying the expected perfect cadence

-       Hemiola bars 63-64 reinforced by two striking diminished 7^th chords on B^b and B^natural, before resolving to the final Ic-V-I cadence in D minor

-       Tierce de Picardie on the final tonic chord bar 65

rhythm

-       3/4 time throughout, andante

-       Almost continuous cello quavers push the movement along cadences marked by crotchets

-       Anapaestic rhythm (two semi-quavers followed by one quaver) in the fugue subject (bar 2 beat 3)

-       The subject and countersubject both start with an anacrusis

-       Hemiola bars 63-64, most clearly seen in the cello part

texture

-       Fugal texture for the soloists, with harmonic support from the continuo cello and harpsichord

-       Canonic imitation of the fugue subject (bars 1-7 soloists)

-       Parallel motion (bar 12 oboe and violin in 3rds)

Contrary motion (bars 50-54 soloists’ imitation of the countersubject in pairs