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- They redefined the concerto and took it to new heights. These concertos are in concerto grosso, literally ‘big concerto’, form, which is when a large number of instruments takes on solo roles.
- They were subversive and spoke truth to power. Johann Sebastian Bach composed these pieces during his years spent as a court composer to the music-loving aristocrat, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen.
- They have a deeply beautiful two-chord movement. These concertos, with inventive harmony, complex counterpoint, multi-layered fugues and interweaving textures, showcase Baroque music at its most intricate, detailed and mind-bogglingly intellectual, extreme.
- They fought fascism. Adolf Busch was a very famous violinist in 1920s Germany, In 1927, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, Busch denounced Nazism and emigrated to Switzerland and then to America.
Dec 22, 2021 · Renditions of the concertos come clothed in recordings called “Bach Unbuttoned” (a lively flute-centric account of the six concertos featuring Ana de la Vega), “The Hidden Reunion” (the ...
- Mark Swed
- Classical Music Critic
- mark.swed@latimes.com
- The Concertos as Job Application
- The Concertos Lost and Found
- The Performances
One of the explanations that the concertos provide such breadth and depth of musical variety is because Bach compiled them as a job application to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, younger brother of the King. As such, it’s one of the few manuscripts that Bach wrote out himself, rather than give to a copyist. He also included an in...
The Margrave’s apparent disinterest in the concertos risked having them lost entirely, but kept them sufficiently preserved so that when they were eventually rediscovered – the manuscript was in great shape. The Margrave died in 1734, at which time the manuscript was sold for roughly the equivalent of $24. Eventually, it ended up being found by the...
Due to the concertos inauspicious beginnings, it’s unclear exactly when they were first performed. While it’s widely believed the Margrave’s court orchestra never performed them, it’s also widely believed that Bach’s provincial orchestral did. The King of Prussia at the time wasn’t a great fan of the arts. When he ascended the throne shortly before...
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Dec 5, 2018 · Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050: III. Allegro. Amazingly, Bach compiled the six groundbreaking Brandenburg Concertos in 1721 as a kind of musical résumé for an unsuccessful job inquiry. Their recipient, Prince Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, never responded and may not have opened the bundle of scores.
Oct 3, 2018 · The Concerto is an extensive reworking of Bach’s Sinfonia in F Major, BWV 1046a, music that may have formed the introduction to “Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd,” BWV 208 , a secular cantata written in 1713 for hunting festivities celebrating the birthday of Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels. The first movement comes to life with ...
Dec 19, 2018 · Watch on YouTube. Watch on. Bach compiled the six groundbreaking Brandenburg Concertos in 1721 as a kind of musical résumé for an unsuccessful job inquiry. Their recipient, Prince Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, never responded and may not have opened the bundle of scores. We are the rich recipients of this sublime, revolutionary, and ...
Apr 26, 2021 · Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051. Bach may have composed the six Brandenburg Concertos to gain employment, but his “musical resume” stands today as one of the great monuments in Baroque orchestral music. Principal Guest Conductor Nicholas Kraemer leads the Music of the Baroque Orchestra in three of the six concertos ...
