Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050 – Johann Sebastian Bach Born March 21, 1685, in Eisenach, Germany Died July 28, 1750, in Leipzig, Germany The premiere date for this work is unknown. It is scored for a solo group of flute, harpsichord, and violin, and an ensemble of violin, viola, violone (usually performed on cello), along with basso continuo.

In 1717 Johann Sebastian Bach accepted the position of court music director in Cöthen. It was here that his wife, Maria Barbara, died unexpectedly in July of 1720, while Bach was out of town on business. He married again sometime before the summer of 1722, this time to the daughter of the court trumpeter of the town of Zeiss. His new wife, Anna Magdalena Wilke was a gifted singer whose voice Bach must have known. During his years in Cöthen, Bach composed many instrumental works , often showing the influence of various Italian composers in which he had taken interest – among them Vivaldi, Corelli, and Albinoni.

Dedicated to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, to whom they were sent in hopes of a possible position in Berlin, the six Brandenburg Concertos date from between 1718 and 1721 when Bach was working in Cöthen. The term concerto refers here to the concerto grosso – a work for a small group of soloists (called the concertino) pitted against a larger ensemble of instruments (called the ripieno or tutti) – as opposed to the solo concerto. Concerti grossi usually have a clear-cut division between the groups, as in Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1, 2, and 4. However, the other three have two more evenly matched groups.

The fifth of these works is especially unique in that Bach scored it for a solo group of flute, violin, and harpsichord – an instrument Bach likely wrote with his own abilities in mind. Bach's writing provides clear textures and each instrument is given lines that are as much a delight to play as they are to hear.

Interestingly, the harpsichord in the concertino group is the lead instrument during a time when orchestral use of keyboard instruments was usually in a supporting role.

Bach's first movement (Allegro) relies on a tried and true technique called ritornello form. Similar to the Classical rondo some fifty years later, this form uses a returning section (simply called the ritornello) to separate entrances of the solo group. In this way, Bach clearly punctuates the stunning solos from the ensemble sections, providing formal clarity in the absence of the usual larger orchestral group. The most important aspect of the first movement is the extended harpsichord cadenza. This showpiece reveals Bach's astounding expertise at every virtuoso device known during his day. It was probably composed in celebration of the city of Cöthen's purchase of a new harpsichord in 1719.

The second movement (Affettuoso) is written for just the concertino group. Built upon a theme by French organist Louis Marchand, this short movement is a peaceful valley between the two mountainous outer movements. The final Allegro is in the lively Italian guise of a gigue, filled with scales and runs while using the solo group to full advantage. ©2020 Orpheus Music Prose & Craig Doolin www.orpheusnotes.com