22-23 Program Book - Flipbook - Page 43
Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051
Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047
The Second Brandenburg concerto is a concerto grosso, with a “concertino”
of four soloists. In this type of concerto, what usually happens is the
orchestra and soloists play in unison in sections called “ritornellos” followed
by passages for the soloists individually and in various combinations.
Listeners can follow their favorite instrument or just enjoy the ever-changing
colors. In the first movement, each soloist steps out of the orchestral
texture to receive an introductory “bow” and then they are presented in
a variety of combinations that resembles a dialogue; occasionally several
conversations seem to be going on simultaneously. The slow movement
is a lovely melancholy contrast in mood that features three of the soloists
(the trumpet gets a brief rest). The uplifting third movement is famous
for being used in several television shows and movies, most noteworthy
for William F. Buckley’s Firing Line. The first movement of this concerto
was chosen as the first musical piece to be played on the Voyager Golden
Record, and also served as a theme for PBS’s Great Performances in the
1980s. It should be noted that in Bach’s day the trumpet part would have
been played on an instrument without valves, essentially a long bugle, and
the player would navigate all the high notes with only the lips. The part
was originally written for a specialist, Bach’s court trumpeter in Cöthen,
Johann Ludwig Schreiber. Modern improvements have made the part only
nominally less precarious, but the interweaving of the high trumpet part
with the other solo instruments (violin, flute/recorder, oboe) make this
piece a truly unique piece in Baroque music.
CLASSICAL SERIES: THE SIX BACH BRANDENBURGS
Concerto No. 6 features two violas and a cello as soloists. The accompanying
“orchestra,” however, involves only four other players: two violas da gamba
(an older type of bowed string instrument), harpsichord, and violone (early
string bass). In modern performances, the “orchestra” is occasionally filled
out by larger orchestral sections. One interesting allegory offered about
this concerto is the meeting of youth and old age; new and old fashions are
reflected in the instrumentation and the interaction of the two groups of
instruments. The warmth and transparency of the key and instrumentation
make this concerto a favorite of performers and audiences alike. The soloists
play alone in the intimate second movement, a remarkable contrast to the
charm and positive energy of the outer movements. The last movement
is known to many because of its use in films, commercials, and as theme
music for radio and television programs, most recently as the jingle music
for American Public Media.
Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
The Third Brandenburg concerto is likely one of the earliest to be written,
probably from Bach’s Weimar period (1708-1717). The work is another
“ensemble” concerto, organized to highlight three groups of three
instruments—three violins, three violas, and three cellos—reinforced by a
basso continuo of violone and harpsichord.
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