Classics Explained: Bach, J.S. - Brandenburg Concertos Nos 4 5

Tracklisting

Disc 1

Side 1

• 1. The Brandenburgs As Concerti Grossi
• 2. Introduction: Melody, Theme And Motif; Bach's Opening Gambit
• 3. Onwards And Upwards: Motif No.2 And Its Function
• 4. The Two Elements Of Motif No.2 And The Effect Of Their Combination
• 5. The 'Motto' Rhythm Hidden Even Within The Opening Bar
• 6. Motif No.3, Introduced By The Two Recorders, Has A Kind Of 'Hovering' Character; It's Repetition In
• 7. Motif No.3, Repeated For A Second, 'Directed' Listen
• 8. Bach Reminds Us Of The Opening
• 9. Motif No.4 - A Steadily Rising Derivative Of Motif No.1
• 10. Motif No.5, A Lovely, Bouncy, Syncopated Flourish, In Which All The Instruments Join
• 11. Opening Ritornello (Complete)
• 12. Episode 1 Begins With Virtuoso Entry Of The Solo Violin, Made Up Of Alternating Arpeggios And Rising
• 13. Motif No.3 Returns, Courtesy Of The Recorders, Recently Sidelined By The Violin, Which Now Accompani
• 14. Ritonello 2, A Varied Repeat Of Ritornello 1, Arrives After Much Harmonic Movement, This Time In E M
• 15. Episode 2, Part 1, Preceded By The 'Fanfare' Motif From Which Its First Them Derives
• 16. Episode 2 Continued, With More Bravura Dazzle From The Solo Violin; Key Shifts From A Minor To C Maj
• 17. Repeat Of Section For Purposes Of Hearing The Harmonic Movement
• 18. Ritornello 3, With The Prominent Participation Of The Soloists
• 19. Episode 3 Prove Retrospective, Featuring Transposed Repeats Of Earlier Material
• 20. Ritornello 4, Not Altogether What It Might Seem; Solo Violin Takes 'Motto' Motif, Orchestral Violins
• 21. Episode 4. Cue To Part 1, Focusing On 'Soloistic' Counterpoint Provided By The Continuo
• 22. Return To Ritornello 4 To Hear Sources Of Episode 4, Part 2
• 23. Episode 4 Continued, With Emphasis Placed On Conversational Interchanges Between Orchestral Violins
• 24. Return To Opening Ritornello In Order To Enhance Awareness Of The Contrast Between G Major And B Min
• 25. Ritornello 5, Beginning
• 26. Ritornello 5 Continued, With Emphasis On The Determined Banishment Of B Minor
• 27. Cue To Complete Performance Of First Movement
• 28. First Movement (Complete)
• 29. Introduction: Rhythmic Motif Provides Basis For Whole Movement; The Kernel From Which Much Of The Mo
• 30. The Melody Not Much To Write Home About; Nor Is The Meek 'Answer' Offered By The Soloists
• 31. Putting The Two Together, Thereby Establishing A Relationship
• 32. Contrast And Syncopation - Their Relationship In Opening Section
• 33. Listening From The 'Bottom Up'
• 34. The Intertwining And Alteration Of Solo And Orchestra; The Irregularity Of Metrical Groupings
• 35. The Next Orchestral Phrase; Slowing The Pace But Not The Tempo
• 36. The First Section (Complete)
• 37. The Next Section; Foreground Symmetry And Background Variety
• 38. The Central Section's Groupings Are Hugely Asymmetrical
• 39. Cue To Second Movement As A Whole
• 40. Second Movement (Complete)
• 41. Introduction To The Third Movement...
• 42. Fugue Subject
• 43. First Counter-Subject
• 44. Second Counter-Subject
• 45. Bass Entry Of The Subject
• 46. Exposition (Complete)
• 47. First Episode; The Us Of Fragmentary Derivatives
• 48. The Difference A Detail Can Make!
• 49. Harmonic Rhythm Defined; Back To The Beginning To Find The Seed...
• 50. ...And Now The Blossom
• 51. The First Solo Episode; A Confusion Of Terms; Onwards, To The Introduction Of The Solo Episode, Then
• 52. Ritornello 2 Complete
• 53. Solo Episode 2 Dominated by Thrilling Virtuosity From The Solo Violin
• 54. Ritornello 3: Highly Contrapuntal And Dominated By Subject-Derivatives, With Much Harmonic Fluidity
• 55. Ritornello 3 Continues: Engine Of Harmonic Motion Repeated At Higher Pitch
• 56. More On Ritornello 3: The Use Of Long, Sustained, Slightly Syncopated Notes In Upper Strings And Rec
• 57. Ritornello 3 (Complete)
• 58. Solo Episode 3 - Less Solo Than Earlier Ones, What With (Albeit Very Discreet) Orchestral Accompanim
• 59. The Two Recorders Converse In Canon, Accompanied For Six Exhilarating Bars By Cello 'Continuo'
• 60. Finishing Solo Exposition 3: Orchestral Cellos Introduce What Sounds Like It's Going To Be The Compl
• 61. Approaching The Final Ritornello; Stretto Explained
• 62. Cue To Final Ritornello, Noting Tension-Building 'Pedal Point' In Cellos And Double Bass
• 63. Coda - The 'Tail-Piece', With Its Surprising 'Hammer Strokes'
• 64. Cue To Third Movement
• 65. Third Movement (Complete)

Disc 2

• 1. Opening Music; Analysis And Phony Analysis; Shaw Quote; Music: Motif No.1
• 2. Music, Energy And Relationship
• 3. The Outlines Of A Melody Emerge
• 4. The Opening Bar Again
• 5. Motif No.2: Ta/Dee-Ya, Dee-Ya, Dee-Ya
• 6. Motif No.3, And An Important Feature Of Its Rhythm
• 7. Beethoven Fifth Symphony (Opening)
• 8. Motif No.4
• 9. Motif No.5
• 10. Motif No.6
• 11. Episode 1: A 'Love Duet'
• 12. Episode 1 Continued; Violin And Flute Reverse Direction Of Their Theme; The 'Love Song' Motif Answer
• 13. 'False' Ritornello; Soloists Interrupt; Rising 'Sighing' Motif; Harpsichord Continues Downwards
• 14. Four Things Going On At Once, In Violin, Flute, Harpsichord Right Hand, Harpsichord Left Hand
• 15. The Orchestra Returns, Picking Up At Exactly The Spot Where It Was Interrupted
• 16. The Harpsichord Intervenes With Derivative Of Motif 4; Key Shifts From A Major To B Minor
• 17. The Orchestra Returns To Foreground And Brings This Section To An End
• 18. Harpsichord Emerges As Virtuoso; A Series Of Expectations Are Frustrated
• 19. A Backwards Look; Blurred Distinctions Between Soloists And Orchestra; 'Mozartian' Development
• 20. Out Of The Twilight Zone; A Sequence Of Surprises
• 21. The Epoch-Making Harpsichord Cadenza And The Final Ritornello
• 22. Cue To First Movement
• 23. First Movement (Complete)
• 24. Introduction; The Opening Ritornello
• 25. The First Bar; The First Main Building Block
• 26. The Flute Motif
• 27. Opening Of The First Solo Episode
• 28. An Important Motif; The Second Main Building Block
• 29. The Second Main Theme
• 30. Ritornello 2; Violin And Flute As 'Orchestra'
• 31. Episode 2; Inversion Of Original Motifs
• 32. More On Episode 2
• 33. Episode 1 And Episode 2 Compared
• 34. Episode 2; Key Shifts From D Major To F Sharp Minor
• 35. Ritornello 3: An Exact Transposition Of Ritornello 1
• 36. Episode 3 Contrasted With Episode 1
• 37. Episode 3 Described In Detail
• 38. Rotornello 4; Second Main Theme's First Appearance In A Ritornello
• 39. Episode 4: Dominated By Inversions
• 40. Cue To Second Movement
• 41. Second Movement (Complete)
• 42. Introduction: Ritornello 1
• 43. The Fugue Subject: Close Juxtaposition Of Contrasting Elements
• 44. Flute Takes The 'Answer', With Countersubject In The Violin
• 45. Contrary Motion As A Contrapuntal Device
• 46. Contrary Motion As A Listening Aid; A New Theme
• 47. Playing With The Counter-Subject; A Musical Game Of Tag
• 48. Hidden Rhythms: Background Variety Behind Foreground Uniformity
• 49. Fugal Writing And The Compatibility Of Parts; The Exposition
• 50. Episode 1, Taken By Soloists, Contains Importand 'Seeds'
• 51. The Orchestra Enters At Last, But By Stealth
• 52. Stretto And Musical Football
• 53. Key Changes To B Minor, Introducing Extensive Middle Section
• 54. The Middle Section A Precursor Of The Mozartian 'Development'
• 55. The Fugue Subject Out In Force: First Four Immediately Consecutive Entries Yet
• 56. Ambiguity Of Mode And A Scottish Twist
• 57. Middle Section Continued; Harpsichord Dominates
• 58. Cue To Last Movement
• 59. Last Movement (Complete)