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Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047
1st movement
ANALYSIS
By Andrew Coxon
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J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047, 1st. movement.
Johannes Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) wrote a set of six Brandenburg Concertos at the request of the
Margrave of Brandenburg, completing them in 1721. Each concerto is an example of the concerto
grosso style where a group of soloists (= concertino) is set against a string orchestra and continuo (=
ripieno). Bach wrote each concerto for a different solo group
Ritornello Form.
‘Ritornello’ means ‘little return’. It is a form where a main theme alternates with contrasting episodes.
For the ‘little return’, only a part of the main theme needs to recur and it can be in any key (unlike the
later Rondo Form where the main theme – or A – returns in full and in the original key each time).
N.B. other commentaries on this movement may divide it up differently from the following analysis.
Ritornello Form is not always clear-cut. In an examination situation, a range of approaches will be
allowed as long as you are able to justify your viewpoint.
Key: F major
Concertino: Trumpet in F (i.e. a transposing instrument, sounding a perfect fourth higher than
written), Flute (though, in Bach’s day, this would be a recorder), Oboe, Violin
Ripieno: Violins I & II, Violas, Violone, Cello & Cembalo = Continuo
The ritornello theme has four phrases, each two bars long, referred to as x, y, xI and z.
x: the melodic idea is in flute, oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I; the trumpet has a figure based on
the triad of F major as do the violas; Violin II moves largely in thirds with Violin I; Violone and
continuo have a semiquaver figure which decorates F and A.
y: the melodic material remains in flute, oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I; the trumpet repeats high
C (sounding pitch) as quavers then an extended trill; Violin II has a one-bar phrase played twice which
follows ‘y’ mostly in thirds; violas have another one-bar phrase based on chords V & I, again played
twice; Violone and continuo also have a repetitive figure based on notes from chords V & I.
xI: the main melodic material, still in flute, oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I, is based largely on
an inversion of ‘x’; the trumpet emphasises the tonic chord; Violin II introduces a very important idea
while the violas add a countermelody to the main ‘xI’ idea, mainly in thirds; Violone and continuo also
emphasise the tonic chord.
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z: this final cadential phrase retains the melody in flute, oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I; the
trumpet initially emphasises the dominant before settling on the tonic triad in bar 8; Violin II and
violas have a slightly syncopated idea which finally cadences onto the tonic; Violone and continuo
follow this harmonic pattern in quavers I / V Vb I Ib V Vb I Vb / I IV V V I.
A new ‘solo’ theme is introduced by the solo violin accompanied simply by the continuo.
This two-bar phrase is followed by phrase ‘x’ from full orchestra and soloists in F major.
Still in F major, the oboe takes up the ‘solo’ theme while the solo violin adds a semiquaver decorative
countermelody and the continuo repeats its part an octave higher; again, phrase ‘x’; follows tutti but
now in C major (the dominant).
Remaining in C major, it is now the flute’s turn to play the ‘solo’ theme while the oboe takes on the
counter-melodic idea previously played by the solo violin; the continuo plays its pattern in C major;
phrase ‘x’ follows in C major tutti.
Finally, and still in C major, the trumpet plays the ‘solo’ theme while the flute has the decorative
countermelody and the continuo again plays its pattern; it is followed by phrase ‘y’ from the ritornello
tutti on the dominant of C major, leading to
This is based on the two two-bar phrases ‘xI’ and ‘z’ from the ritornello.
‘z’ is played by solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I.
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The solo trumpet carries on in a rhythm similar to that used to decorate ‘xI’.
Violin II and Violas introduce some syncopation in their accompanying lines.
Violone and continuo play broken chords alternating between V and I in C major before the final
Perfect Cadence.
Like Episode 1, this start with the ‘solo’ theme, played by solo trumpet, accompanied by detached
quavers on solo flute and solo oboe, running semiquavers on solo violin and steadily moving quavers
in continuo, following the same pattern as the first statement in Episode 1.
This single statement is followed by the two-bar phrase ‘x’ in D minor (the relative minor), played by
solo violin, ripieno Violins I & II and Violas.
Solo trumpet plays a long dominant trill.
Solo flute, Violone and continuo have rushing semiquaver lines.
Solo oboe starts a third lower than ‘x’, completing the chord of D minor.
A sequence (Sequence 1) begins in solo trumpet at the end of bar 32 based on the interval of a 4th. It is
repeated in imitation by the solo oboe after two beats and the music follows a circle of fifths:
From Dm Gm C F B flat Em A Dm
Notice how Bach uses a diminished 5th. from B flat to E to foreshorten the circle and bring the music
more quickly back to its starting point of Dm.
Solo flute plays semiquavers mostly in parallel thirds with the continuo.
Solo violin also plays but with some double-stopping.
This is the start of the sequence:
The two ripieno violin parts play sustained notes which provide suspensions – i.e. notes which clash
with the prevailing harmony but then resolve.
The Violone has a one bar sequence which underlines a V - I progression each time.
‘z’ is played by solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I.
Solo trumpet affirms the dominant, A, in a short repeated pattern.
Ripieno Violin II and Violas play their syncopated rhythms as in Ritornello 2.
Violone and continuo play broken chords alternating between V and I in C major before the final
Perfect Cadence.
These five strands remain in the texture for the rest of this sequential section with some slight
reallocation of parts, though part (iv) stays in the same instruments throughout and part (v) moves only
for the fourth and final statement.
Bars 43(4)-45(4): Moving on to C major for the third statement, the solo trumpet is silent while (x)
passes to solo oboe.
(ii) Solo flute adds swirling semiquavers decorating high E and C.
(iii) Solo violin has the swirling semiquavers in contrary motion to the solo flute, now an octave lower;
(iv) This pattern remains in ripieno Violins I & II and Violas;
(v) Violone and continuo play broken chords of C.
Bars 47(4)-49(4):
Phrase (y) is used to round off this sequence:
Phrase (y) is played by solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I, as in the opening
ritornello;
Solo trumpet plays a short fanfare-style figure emphasising the dominant (C) and reminiscent of
Ritornello 1, bars 6(4)-8³ and Episode 1, bars 22(4)-24³;
Ripieno Violin II and Violas repeat their figures from the opening ritornello;
Violone and continuo also repeat their patterns from the opening ritornello, emphasising the dominant-
tonic harmony which underpins this phrase.
Bars 56-57:
(xI) is played by ripieno Violone and continuo;
Solo trumpet plays a figure it previously played in Ritornello 2, bars 25-27, and Ritornello 3, bars 36-
37, and which featured in the solo oboe part in bars 46-47;
Solo flute, solo oboe and solo violin play a figure based on the chord of B major;
Ripieno Violins I & II plus ripieno violas resume the figure first heard in bars 5-6 of the opening
ritornello.
Bars 57(4)-59³:
(z) in solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and ripieno Violin I;
Solo trumpet has a fanfare-like repetition of F for one bar followed by a written out trill on B and C;
As in Ritornello 2, Violin II and Violas introduce some syncopation in their accompanying lines;
Violone and continuo play broken chords alternating between V and I in B major before the final
Perfect Cadence.
This is based on the two-bar ‘solo’ theme from Episode 1 though now played without the alternation
with phrase (y). Each soloist presents the phrase in turn, building from a 3 to a 5-part texture. The
modulating sequence is by thirds, alternating minor with major:
B G E C
Phrase (x):
Solo oboe, ripieno Violin I & II and ripieno Violas play this figure;
The inverted counterpoint semiquaver figures, so much a feature of the first part of Episode 3 return
here in solo flute and inverted in ripieno Violone and continuo;
Solo trumpet plays broken chords of C minor in quavers;
Solo violin plays a repeated pattern of four semiquavers.
Phrase (y):
This is played by solo oboe and ripieno Violin I;
Solo trumpet plays a short, fanfare-like motif on the dominant G;
Solo flute plays largely in parallel sixths or thirds with phrase (y);
Solo violin plays a one-bar phrase twice initially in parallel with phrase (y);
Ripieno Violin II, Viola, Violone and Continuo provide a dominant (G) pedal.
Bars 71(4)-79: Episode 5: modulating sequences based initially on (xI) – sequence (3) - then, from G
minor, further modulating sequences bases on (x) and elements of (y) – sequence (1).
Sequence (3):
This lasts for three bars: (xI) is played just as a one-bar, modulating phrase but with intricate
counterpoint.
72: chord C7, 1st. inversion:
(xI) is played by solo oboe;
Solo trumpet repeats B, the 7th.
Solo flute plays the broken chord of C;
Solo violin has a semiquaver phrase;
Ripieno Violin I plays a syncopated phrase of the falling chord of C;
Ripieno Violin II and Viola plays separated quavers rising through the chord of C;
Violone plays separated quavers on E while the continuo plays 8 E quavers.
Bars 80-83³: Ritornello 6: G minor, subdominant minor, based on phrases (x1) and (z).
80-81: (xI)
Solo violin and ripieno Violin I have phrase (xI);
Solo trumpet plays a broken chord of G minor;
Solo flute plays flowing semiquavers;
Solo oboe has the figure first heard in solo trumpet in Ritornello 2 (bars 25-26) and in other places
where phrase (xI) is used;
Ripieno Violin II has G/F#, based on its figure from Ritornello I, bars 5-6, and used a lot since;
Ripieno Viola plays a one-bar descending pattern, moving in parallel with phrase (xI);
Ripieno violone and continuo play the broken chord of G minor, with two quavers on each note (i.e. D
D B B G G etc.)
Solo flute, solo violin and ripieno Violin I play phrase (z);
Solo oboe continues its pattern, though inverting the movement of the opening semiquavers;
Ripieno Violin II and ripieno Viola have the syncopated phrase they have always played along with
phrase (z);
Ripieno Violone and continuo play quavers on dominant and tonic before the final cadence:
I IV Ic V I
Although there are seven instrumental lines, this is essentially a 4-part texture:
phrase (x) is in solo oboe;
solo trumpet and solo flute plays semiquavers in contrary motion;
solo violin, ripieno Violin I & II and ripieno Viola play broken chords of G minor.
Solo oboe and solo violin play phrase (x), though the opening two beats are now decorated to become
continuous semiquavers;
Solo trumpet plays repeated As, emphasising the new chord – A7;
Solo flute, as is so often the case, plays flowing semiquavers;
Ripieno Violin I & II and ripieno Viola sustain notes – G, C# & E respectively;
Ripieno Violone and continuo play broken chords of A major.
Phrase (x) is played initially by ripieno violone and continuo and the imitated after half a bar by the
solo trumpet;
Solo flute; solo oboe and solo violin play swirling semiquavers, the woodwind in parallel thirds, the
violin in contrary motion;
Ripieno Violin I & II and ripieno Viola sustain notes – F, D & A respectively.
Bars 90-91: based on a variant of Sequence 1, this is a modulating passage, moving through chords a
fifth apart: Gm C F Bm (this is just a diminished 5th. from F but it enables Bach to
move on to a chord of E and then into A minor.)
Over an E pedal in ripieno Violone and continuo, the ripieno upper strings continue their minim
movement, completing chords of E7, Am, E and then a final crotchet Am;
Solo trumpet, solo flute and solo oboe play repeated quavers, giving half-bar chord of E7, Am (with an
added 6th. in solo oboe to end bar 92), then E in woodwind leading to the crotchet Am while the solo
trumpet plays decorative semiquavers to emphasise the cadence;
Phrase (x) is presented in overlapping entries by solo flute then solo trumpet and solo oboe with solo
violin playing in mostly parallel sixths;
Ripieno Violin 1, II and Viola play the A G#A figure from Ritornello 1, bars 4(4)-6(4) – played on that
occasion on F E F and, of course, used there with phrase (xI);
Ripieno Violone and continuo have the semiquaver figure as in the opening bars, though now in A
minor.
This is another passage where Bach modulates through a circle/cycle of fifths, moving from the initial
Am Dm G C F Bm E Am
Notice that Bach again uses an interval of a diminished fifth F B to shorten the circle of fifths and
hasten the return to Am.
Solo flute and solo violin have the main sequence phrase in turn;
Solo trumpet has a half-bar pattern based on a rising/falling third;
Solo oboe has a half-bar sequential pattern of semiquavers, starting a fourth higher each time and in
parallel tenths with the continuo;
Ripieno Violin I & II have the passage of suspensions as before;
Ripieno Viola and Violone share an imitative pattern as on the first occurrence of this sequence within
Episode 2;
Continuo has a pattern of semiquavers decorating the root and third of each chord.
Bars 99-106(4): Ritornello 7: based on phrases (xI) and (z), in A minor, the mediant, initially, then on
phrases (x) and (y) in F major, the tonic.
99-100: (xI)
On this occurrence, (xI) is scored quite differently from Ritornello 6, though most of the same
elements are present.
(xI) is in the Ripieno Violone and continuo;
Solo trumpet plays just 4 quaver As, i.e. the tonic;
Solo violin, solo flute and solo oboe treat their figure imitatively, the figure first heard in solo trumpet
in Ritornello 2;
Ripieno Violin I & II and Viola play a quaver figure based on the chord of A minor, a pattern heard in
the bass instruments in Ritornello 6, there in G minor.
Bach does not modulate from A minor to F major – he merely cadences in A minor in bar 102 and then
promptly restarts in F major.
(x) is played by solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and the entire Ripieno in octaves: N.B. the continuo
part is marked tasto solo: i.e. no chords to be added, just the bass part to be played;
Solo trumpet plays this same rhythm on the triad of F major.
(y) is played by solo flute, solo oboe, solo violin and Ripieno Violin I;
Solo trumpet has a fanfare-like figure on C;
Ripieno Violin II and Viola have one-bar phrases, played twice;
Ripieno violone and continuo alternate tonic/dominant harmonies.
Bars 106(4)-114(4): Episode 7: Sequence 2, as Episode 3 and, briefly, in varied form as in Episode 6
This is played over repeated quavers in the bass (Ripieno violone and continuo) and is the most
chromatic section of this movement. Bach is very precise with his figured bass, leaving the continuo
player in no doubt as to his precise intentions.
The chords are:
B7 3rd. inversion G7 C7 3rd. inversion A7 D7 3rd. inversion B dim. 7 C7 as
preparation for the return to the tonic and the final ritornello.
This is an outline of that chord sequence from bar 107 (N.B. there should be a natural sign below bar 2
to indicate B natural):
The link to the ritornello in this episode is the use of phrase (xI) as a one-bar pattern, heard initially in
solo violin and subsequently in solo oboe (108), solo flute (109), solo violin (110), solo oboe (111),
solo flute (112), and, finally, ripieno violone and continuo (113-114);
Repeated notes in one or more higher pitched instruments: solo trumpet (107), solo trumpet and solo
violin (108), solo oboe (109), solo trumpet and solo flute (110), solo trumpet (111), and solo trumpet
and solo oboe (112);
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Flowing semiquavers can be found in solo flute (107-108), solo violin (109), solo oboe (110), solo
flute (111), and solo violin (112);
Syncopated triadic figuration in Ripieno Violin I is present from 107-112;
Rising arpeggio patterns in ripieno Violin II and Viola are constant features from 107-112;
Occasionally, there are arpeggio-based figures elsewhere: e.g. solo oboe (107), solo trumpet (109), and
solo violin (111).
Bars 113-114 provide C7/dominant 7th preparation for the tonic in bar 115.
In these two bars, (xI) is played by ripieno violone and continuo;
Solo trumpet returns to its normal figure to accompany (xI);
Solo flute, solo oboe and solo violin play pairs of repeated quavers from V7;
Ripieno Violin I, Violin II and Viola sustain C, G & E respectively.
Bars 115-118 (end): Ritornello 8: phrase (xI) and phrase (z) in F major, the tonic
An exact repeat of the corresponding bars form Ritornello 1 brings this movement to a close.
A new ‘solo’ theme is introduced by the solo violin accompanied simply by the continuo followed by
phrase (x) and then passed to the other soloists in turn, always alternating with phrase (x)
This is based on the two two-bar phrases ‘xI’ and ‘z’ from the ritornello.
Like Episode 1, this start with the ‘solo’ theme before a sequence (Sequence 1) begins in solo trumpet
at the end of bar 32 based on the interval of a 4th. It is repeated in imitation by the solo oboe after two
beats and the music follows a circle of fifths
This is based on the two-bar ‘solo’ theme from Episode 1 though now played without the alternation
with phrase (y).
Bars 71(4)-79: Episode 5: modulating sequences based initially on (xI) – sequence (3) - then, from G
minor, further modulating sequences bases on (x) and elements of (y) – sequence (1), then from 75-76,
just as in Episode 2, (x) occurs, now in G minor. Finally, in bars 77-79: Sequence 1 returns,
modulating via a sequence of chords a fifth apart: from Cm F7 B flat E flat Am D
Bars 80-83³: Ritornello 6: G minor, subdominant minor, based on phrases (x1) and (z).
Bars 99-106(4): Ritornello 7: based on phrases (xI) and (z), in A minor, the mediant, initially, then on
phrases (x) and (y) in F major, the tonic.
Bars 106(4)-114(4): Episode 7: Sequence 2, as Episode 3 and, briefly, in varied form as in Episode 6
Bars 115-118 (end): Ritornello 8: phrase (xI) and phrase (z) in F major, the tonic
An exact repeat of the corresponding bars form Ritornello 1 brings this movement to a close.