Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 Analysis

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047 The instruments heard throughout the concerto are violins, violas, a cello, a bass, an oboe, a recorder, a keyed trumpet, and a harpsichord. The first movement begins at a quick tempo. Sixteenth notes are played constantly and are passed around the different instruments. Throughout the sixteenth not passages or mordents and other embellishments. The keyed trumpet plays lip trills rather than p laying fingered trills. The phrases of the first movement are 4 bar phrases and each phrases features different instruments. The melody is usually featured in the keyed trumpet or in the violins. Occasionally, the oboe or the recorder carries the melody for a phrase. The second movement begins with

The introduction is pesante, making the listener feel like something is weighing down on him. After the short introduction, a new idea is introduced. This new passage is much lighter and faster, and it uses the full range of the instrument from the beginning. After this passage ends, a variation of it begins, utilizes the same idea of ascending thirds from the original passage. Paganini uses ascending and descending octave double stops at a fast tempo frequently in this piece. After the A section closes, the B section begins. The B section is very similar the introduction. The same rhythmic patterns are used and the same emotion is produced. Octave passages are used that produce a weighted feeling on the listener, just as it is in the introduction. Low chords are sustain while a melody is played in the upper octave throughout this section. The B section ends with a tonicizations of different new minor keys. The A section is repeated again in what feels like a major key with deceiving minor tonicizations. This section is much shorter. It finally concludes in the home key on a major

Time is “played with” constantly. The pianist can push the time, but more often than not, time is being stretched. I equate this prelude to death by suffocation. It begins very slowly and sad as through somebody is remember his life and remember a life and finally letting go. There are not many notes in the right hand. In the beginning, the chord changes in the left hand are the driving emotion force. As the piece continues, the right hand gains more motions. Eventually the main theme recapitulates and the right hand begins more and more urgent. This is the moment the individual begins slipping away. The rest of the prelude is him fully slipping away. Towards the end, Chopin slips in a single major I chord. This major chord, to me, signifies the individual’s relief in death. Chopin contrasts the ending from the rest of the piece by using a V chord rather than a V7 in the final cadence. I hear this as the dissonance that is life finally slipping into the consonance that is death. (Sorry for such a morbid