bach - brandenburg concerto

• concerto grosso is a concerto for more than one soloist, this is used in bach
• basso continuo are continuous bass parts that are provided for harpsichord and stringed instruments like bass viol and lute
• section A: bars 1-78, section B: bars 79-232, section C: bars 233-310
• terraced dynamics - sudden dynamic changes, either very loud or very quiet
• melody:

  • mainly conjunct
  • ornamentation
  • melodic sequences
• structure:

  • ternary form (ABA)
  • fugue
• harmony:

  • suspensions (55)
  • pedal (79-85)
  • diatonic harmony
  • each section ends with a perfect cadence
• rhythm, tempo & metre:

  • triplets and dotted rhythms
  • time signiture = 2/4
  • allegro tempo marking
• texture:

  • mainly contrapuntal
  • brief monophonic texture at the start
  • question and answer (imitation) at the start between the flute and violin
  • fugato texture
• tonality:

  • outer sections = D major (A)
  • middle section = B minor (B)
• instrumentation:

  • concertino = small group of soloists (flute, violin, harpsichord)
  • ripieno = rest of orchestra
  • concerto grosso