Brandenburg Concerto No. 2

J. S. Bach (1685-1750) is not usually considered among the avant-garde. History generally regards him more as a brilliant synthesizer than an innovator. By painting with such broad strokes, however, we miss those cases where Bach achieved something altogether new. For example, although he did not invent the concerto per se, Bach did create concerti that broke new ground. Among these are the Brandenburg Concertos, each with its own unique scoring for the solo group or concertino. Particularly innovative is Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, in which the concertino features four different timbres. Highest and brightest sits the trumpet (representing the brass family of instruments), followed by the equally resonant but nasal sound of the oboe (reed family). Softer tones come from the flute (non-reed winds), and the solo violin contributes string texture. Bach delights in all combinations of pairings. And there are many opportunities, for Bach alternates between soli and tutti with striking frequency.
The central movement (Andante) omits the trumpet and large ensemble altogether. Instead, he composes a three-voice canon for flute, oboe, and violin with continuo accompaniment. The D-minor tonality and defining motive, including the A to B-flat semitone, establish a doleful mood. Beneath the canonic imitation in treble lines, Bach grounds the harmonic structure on a “walking bass” in which the low strings move in continuous eighth notes. At the start of the finale, the solo trumpet strides forth from the word go, as if sitting out the slow movement was not altogether to its liking. A more serious game is afoot, however. For Bach, a recognized master of fugue, could not resist the opportunity to compose a four-voice fugue for his concertino. As such, this brilliant finale merges two of the most significant structural principles in Baroque music: rich counterpoint of fugue developed in central and northern Germany, combined with the sectional format and solo-tutti contrasts of the 17th-century Italian concerto.

(c) Jason Stell