Path 08
The concerto, 1721 to 1959
Soloist and orchestra across two and a half centuries, from Bach's harpsichord to Rostropovich's cello.
Bach → Vivaldi → Mozart → Beethoven → Mendelssohn → Tchaikovsky → Dvořák → Rachmaninoff → Ravel → Shostakovich
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050
This guide follows Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050 (1721) in three parts: Allegro, Affettuoso and Allegro.
I Allegro · 18 sections
- I
- II
- III
I0:08–10:04
. A bright () for the whole ensemble opens the and seven times, with solos for flute, violin and harpsichord in between. The harpsichord gradually takes over, and then it begins its long , a passage that shows off the player's skill. The whole ensemble comes back for a final .
II10:12–15:03
(play with feeling), in B minor. The string rests, so only flute, violin and harpsichord play, as in a chamber . The opening idea () four times, with passages between. The mood is tender and chamber-like, in contrast to the outer movements.
III15:10–20:10
, a -like dance in 6/8 that shows off Bach's skill in , the weaving together of independent melodic lines. It opens as a fugue, with the and then the , and the pair is heard again. , where overlap, comes twice in the A section and once more late in the . A contrasting section (B) comes in between, and the opening material (A) to round the off.
- A
- B
- A
Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.
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