Saturday, March 15, 2014, 8 p.m.
whenever the music demanded. In 1719, Bach was sent to the Margrave’s court in Berlin to purchase a fine new harpsichord for the Cöthen Orchestra. There he met the Margrave— who was also known for the excellence of his orchestral ensemble—and undoubtedly demonstrated his virtuosity for him on the new instrument. The Margrave expressed interest in seeing more of Bach’s music, but it took another two years—until 1721—for the always overworked musician to prepare a suitable sampler in the form of six concertos for varying solo groups of instruments, chosen and probably extensively polished up for the occasion from his extensive repertoire. Unlike most of Vivaldi’s concertos, these are works of the concerto grosso genre: concertos that feature a group of soloists rather than a single soloist, balanced against a small orchestra of strings and harpsichord. Following Vivaldi’s formula, the two fast outer movements open with the small orchestra playing a refrain
or ritornello, which then recurs in whole or in part throughout the movement to bind the music together. In between come episodes for the solo group using mostly different thematic material. The slow-tempo middle movement focuses on more intimate music for the soloists. What sets the Brandenburgs apart from other concerti grossi of the period is the wide variety of instrumental combinations Bach used to make up his solo groups. Each concerto has its own distinct sound world with music designed to celebrate the different kinds of virtuosity its particular instruments are capable of. In the First Concerto, Bach showcased the warm tones of French horns and the poignant lyricism of three oboes, alongside a violin. In the Second, a high Baroque trumpet sets a brilliant, festive tone along with solo flute, oboe and violin. The Third Concerto features just string instruments—three violins, three violas and three cellos—that constantly interchange their roles as soloists and ensemble players.
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For the Fourth Concerto, Bach chose a violin, to which he gave a particularly virtuosic part, and two charming flutes or recorders. In the Fifth Concerto, for the first time in musical history he made the harpsichord—usually relegated to the subordinate role of continuo accompanist—his chief soloist and devised for it a spectacular long cadenza surely intended to show off his own virtuoso powers (as well as that new harpsichord from Berlin). Finally, he turned again to the strings for his Sixth Concerto, but used only the violas, cellos and double basses while surprisingly omitting the violins. This combination was probably designed to show off Prince Leopold on the bass viol and Bach himself on the showy first viola part. And thus, when all six concertos are played together, as they will be at this concert, we have in effect a giant Baroque concerto for orchestra, with every instrument and every section having its moment in the spotlight. Notes by Janet E. Bedell copyright 2014
Lunch outing @ noo n Sign u p to vo luntee for lit r eracy progra m Stra th more c oncert Frida y