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Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 BWV 1046 - III Allegro assai
José Rodríguez Alvira
The third movement is a double fugue. All the instruments participate, although only the soloists and the basso continuo play during most parts of the movement.
All the examples are in concert pitch to facilitate the analysis. The trumpet is written a fourth lower in the original score because it is an F trumpet. See Transposing instruments for more information.
Measures 1 to 10:
The trumpet (tromba) and basso continuo present the two subjects (S1 and S2, measures 1 to 4).
A short episode (measures 4 to 6) leads to the presentation of the real answers (A1 and A2) by the oboe and basso continuo (measures 7 to 10) in the key of the dominant.
Subject 2 will undergo variations in its first and last notes throughout the movement. In this case, we see that answer 2 (A2) loses some notes at the end.
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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Measures 10 to 30:
A more extended episode (measures 10 to 20) leads to the second presentation of the subjects by the trumpet and oboe in measure 21.
Subject 2 is varied in its first notes.
In measure 27 we have the second presentation of the answers (flute and oboe). We already have the four soloists and the basso continuo playing.
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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Measures 79 to 85:
A descending progression takes us to G minor.
The four soloists and the orchestra play.
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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The descending march in measure 79 is the result of a series of seventh chords connected in this way:
The bass prepares the seventh chord in the next measure (red lines).
The bass note of the first chord of each measure in the upper staff prepares the seventh of the second chord (red lines).
Each seventh resolves downward (blue arrows).
In measure 82, the E flat leads us to G minor.
The march is composed of descending thirds followed by ascending seconds:
Measures 85 to 107:
We modulate to D minor. Only the soloists and the basso continuo play.
The musical idea from measures 87 to 89 (marked by squares of broken lines) repeats in G minor, C major, and F major.
In measure 95, we modulate to B flat major.
The orchestra plays from measure 97.
A progression similar to that of measures 79 to 85 repeats in measures 98 to 102.
The key of B flat major is affirmed in measure 107.
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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The progression from measures 98 to 102 is similar to the one we saw in measures 79 to 85:
The sevenths are now in the upper voices.
We remain in the key of B flat major..
This march is also composed of descending thirds followed by ascending seconds:
Measures 107 to 139:
The trumpet and oboe present the subjects in the key of B flat major.
In measure 113, the flute and oboe present the subjects on the dominant.
In measure 119, the flute, cello, and continuo present the inverted subjects at the twelfth.
In measure 136, the trumpet and violin present the subjects for the last time and end the movement.
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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Complete movement:
Vincent DiMartino (trumpet), Arnold (flute), Rennick (oboe), Saunders (violin), Lexington Bach Choir Orchestra
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. José Rodríguez Alvira. Published by teoria.com
