Knowra Brandenburg Concertos Brandenburg Concertos The Brandenburg Concertos are six concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed around 1721 and dedicated to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg. Each uses a distinctive combination of solo instruments and ensemble forces.
Concerto grosso : A Baroque concerto form that contrasts a small group of soloists with a larger ensemble. Several concertos use this contrast between a concertino and the full ensemble.
Baroque concerto : A Baroque instrumental work that contrasts solo passages with an accompanying ensemble. The six works explore concerto writing through contrasting solo and ensemble forces.
Johann Sebastian Bach : A German composer and organist whose works include cantatas, keyboard music, and instrumental concertos. He composed the six concertos and assembled the manuscript sent to Brandenburg.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 : The first Brandenburg Concerto, scored for horns, oboes, bassoon, piccolo violin, strings, and continuo. Its expanded ensemble and added dance movements distinguish it from the other five.
Bach revival : The renewed public and scholarly interest in Johann Sebastian Bach’s music, especially from the nineteenth century onward. The revival helped establish Bach’s instrumental works as standard concert repertoire.
Ritornello form : A musical structure in which a recurring orchestral passage alternates with contrasting episodes. Recurring ensemble passages organize several concertos’ exchanges between soloists and orchestra.
Basso continuo : A Baroque accompaniment practice in which a bass line is realized by chord-playing instruments. Continuo instruments provide the harmonic foundation across the concertos.
Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt : A Prussian prince and military officer who served as Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Bach dedicated the collection to him in 1721.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 : The third Brandenburg Concerto, scored for three groups of violins, violas, and cellos with continuo. Its string-only forces make instrumental grouping, rather than solo virtuosity, central.
Felix Mendelssohn : A German composer, conductor, and pianist who helped renew public interest in Bach’s music. His performances and advocacy contributed to Bach’s nineteenth-century revival.
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