Bach\'s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

Music/Bach

It is not known why Johann Sebastian Bach sent a collection of six concertos to the military governor of Berlin, Margrave Christian Ludwig. Bach had recently lost his wife and perhaps he was looking to assuage his grief by moving to a new city. Whether Christian Ludwig replied in reference to Bach's portfolio remains a mystery. In any case, there was apparently no offer of employment, as Bach never moved to Berlin. There is no record that Bach was ever paid for his work, either. Nonetheless, the Brandenburg Concertos, particularly No. 5, represent a stunning musical achievement for which Bach was not properly recognized during his lifetime.

Bach did not write the concerti expressly for Christian Ludwig. The pieces were written earlier and presumably selected by Bach because he felt they were an outstanding showcase of his work. The works have come to be known as the Brandenburg Concertos, a name coined more than a century after Bach's death by his biographer, Phillipp Spitta (Simeone).

Each of the concertos requires a different combination of instruments. The Concerto No. 5 has perhaps the most dazzling of these, which could be why this concerto is considered a favorite by so many people the world over. Bach created considerable drama in the piece by giving it harmonic tension and expectancy (Kerman & Tomlinson, 2011).

Bach was a master of this, and it is one of the reasons the Brandenburg Concertos continue to be played and enjoyed.

The piece begins with a light and lively introduction by violins. The concerto is written in D Major, but modulates to a minor key for just a few notes approximately twenty seconds into the piece. Those few minor notes give the concerto color and hint at the drama and sophistication that the listening audience will soon experience. Flutes join the violins and while the piece retains its happy feel, some of the liveliness is gone as the concerto becomes lilting and fluid. The melodies and countermelodies of the two instruments dance around each other before the violins reprise the opening melody. The flutes continue, and the violin joins in again, providing a richness and depth to the composition. The concerto modulates again to a minor key and continues for several measures, as the harpsichord is heard for the first time. Music scholars regard the harpsichord part in Brandenburg No. 5 as the invention of the modern keyboard concerto (Simeone). The harpsichord seems to drop out as the melodies of the other instruments continue to dance around one another. A chromatic progression of scales leads into another reprise of the first melody. The harpsichord appears again with delicate inventions on the tune that segue into an impressive solo that lasts until the end of the piece. The cadenza picks up speed and uses the full range of the keyboard before the strings reiterate the melody a final time.