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Structure – (Ternary Form)
Texture
The texture is POLYPHONIC/CONTRAPUNTAL
Like the first movement, this third movement
could also be thought of as Ritornello form
though
 The movement begins in fugal style.
 The subject in the solo violin is followed by an
answer in the flute at a distance of two bars. We
now have two-part imitation.
 The texture builds during the first page
 Occasionally the flute and violin play in thirds. The
harpsichord also does this.
 When the ripieno is playing, the flute and violin
sometimes double each other in unison (e.g.bar 33).
 The bass line in Section B often uses pedals
A (bars 1 – 78)
B (bars 79 – 232)
A (bars 233 – end)
Tonality
 The music is in D major.
 This key is used for most of the two A sections.
 The B section starts in the Relative Minor of Bm and
also modulates to the dominant (A major)
 The music is diatonic and functional
 Modulations are keys are shown by clear perfect
cadences and pedals in the B section.
Harmony
Performance Forces & Handling
 Concerto Grosso line-up – unusual to use wind
instruments
 Ripieno string orchestra with only 1 violin part
 Concertino solo group consisting of baroque
wooden flute, violin and harpsichord (v. unusual)
 Basso Continuo of bass instruments and
harpsichord reading a figured bass e.g. 29-37
 Virtuosic writing for harpsichord e.g. 1st mvt has a
cadenza – probably played by Bach
 Trills for harpsichord to hold long notes and no
dynamics possible
Tempo, Rhythm & metre
 The metre is 2/4 but feels like 6/8 time. It is
essentially a Baroque gigue (a lively dance in
compound duple time).
 It uses triplets and dotted rhythm throughout.
 The dotted quaver-semiquaver grouping (e.g.
b1) would have been performed as a triplet
 The harpsichord part in particular has many
semiquaver runs.
Bach Brandenburg
Concerto No.5, Mvt
III in D major
Melody
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Much of the music is in conjunct (stepwise) style (e.g. bar
2), though there are leaps (e.g. fourths in bar 1).
Small range of an octave of the main motif bars 1-2 and its
clear 2 bar phrase
Often the conjunct music is extended to scalic runs,
especially in the harpsichord part.
Lots of rising sequences e.g. at bar 137
There are occasional ornaments, with trills (e.g. bar 19) in
the harpsichord part.
There are appoggiaturas in the main middle section theme
when it returns in A major (e.g. bar 148).
 The harmony uses the standard chords of the time
(i.e. predominantly chords I, IV and V, with
occasional use of II and VI), including dominant
sevenths in various inversions.
 The harmony is functional.
 The harmony uses mainly root position and first
inversion chords.
 Perfect cadences announce the ends of sections.
 Suspensions are used occasionally (i.e. 9–8
suspension at bar 130).
 Pedals are important in the B section both tonic and
dominant e.g. tonic pedal bar 79
 Ic – V – I cadence ends the B section
Background/Context
 Top German composer from 1685 – 1750
 Example of secular (non-religious) music
 Example of chamber music i.e. 8/9 performers not
designed to be played in a formal concert setting
 The 6 Brandenburg Concertos were written
between 1711 and 1720, and in 1721 were
dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg,
maybe ordered or part of a job application