Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 BWV 1051

Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 BWV 1051 - I.

José Rodríguez Alvira

In the first movement, a ritornello alternates with developmental sections.

Section

Measures

Key

1 - 17

Bb major

The first viola da braccio presents the thematic material that serves as the ritornello. It begins with two simple motives that emphasise the B flat major key:

The motives are repeated. This time they begin on F, the fifth of B flat major.

The first motive is repeated. However, a new syncopated motive (in blue) follows:

The new motif initiates an upward movement:

Two notes are added to the motif (in red) ...

... and the new motif begins a downward movement:

They may seem different motives, but the first two share the same notes: F - D - A - B. The last one replaces the A with an F.

So far, we have only heard the notes of the B-flat major chord, with a few A notes used as nonharmonic tones.

Descending sixteenth notes follow a new variant of the motive:

This new design is repeated twice, the first time slightly extended:

The first bars are repeated on the V degree (F major, dominant of B flat major). Although the theme uses an E natural, the harmony is that of an F dominant chord because of the E-flat that appears in the accompaniment. Bach ends the passage with descending arpeggios:

We return to the ascending and syncopated motive of the second measure. It is followed by the descending sixteenth notes of bar 4.

Bach reuses the rhythmic motive of the first two beats, varying the melodic movement ...

... repeating it and adding some ascending arpeggios (in blue):

Bach repeats bars 10 and 11. In the second repetition (bar 15), he uses only the first notes and repeats the thematic material of bars 2 and 3 (in blue) to conclude the theme:

The theme presented by the first viola is imitated by the second viola in canonical form, one octave apart. We have marked the imitations with red lines.
We have marked in blue brief interruptions of the imitations in bars 8, 9, 11, 12, 12, 15 and 16.
The violas da gamba, cellos and continuo establish the harmony with repeated eighth notes.
We find a dominant pedal (F) from bar 10 to 16.

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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17 - 25

Bb major and F major

In canonical form, the instruments develop the first motive of the theme:

The cello (1) begins and is imitated by the first viola da braccio (2), which expands the thematic material.
The first viola da gamba (3) follows, simplifying the sixteenth note arpeggios.
The second viola da braccio (4) imitates the first viola da braccio.
The second viola da gamba (5) imitates the first viola da gamba.

From bar 21, the violas da braccio develop a motive taken from the fourth bar of the theme.
The second viola imitates the first at the seventh (F of the first becomes G of the second) with some liberties.
The violas da gamba accompany with the first motive of the theme.

The passage leads us to F major:

These two patterns of development, will be repeated throughout the movement. D₁ based on the initial motive and D₂ on the descending melodic movement of bar 4:

D₁ is characterised by:

The use of the initial motive of the theme for the construction of a canon at the octave.

D₂ is characterised by:

Motive of the fourth bar in the violas de braccio in a canon at the seventh.
Initial motif of the theme in the violas da gamba.

First development, measures 17 to 25:

D₁ development pattern

D₂ development pattern

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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25 - 28

F major

The ritornello reappears, reduced to three bars, in F major (the dominant). Surprisingly, the dominant Eb chord in bar 27 functions as Bb major IV (see box below).

Eb is the V degree of Ab, a chord that does not exist in Bb major. The Eb dominant chord is used as a Bb major IV degree chord. Bb7, Eb7 and F7 are the typical Blues chords in the key of Bb major.

Listen to the ritornello. Note the sevenths played by the first viola da braccio (Eb in bar 27 and Ab and Db in bar 28):

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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28 - 46

Bb major, F major, G minor and C minor

The second development begins with the development pattern D₁, similar to bar 17.
The first viola da braccio is imitated by the second (3).
The cello intersperses short presentations of the first motive (2 and 4).
In bar 31, the cello presents a variant of the first motive (original motive marked in blue neumes) and is imitated by the viola da braccio. This motive had already appeared in bar 29.

A new canon based on the first motive of the theme with the participation of all instruments.
We modulate to F major.

Now we move on to the development pattern D₂.
The violas da braccio develop the motive of bar 4, while the other violas use the motive of the first bar.

The first viola da braccio melodically develops the first motive of the theme.
The other instruments accompany with repeated eighth notes.
A harmonic sequence leads from F major to G minor and C minor.
Each step of the sequence begins with the first motive of the theme in the second viola da braccio and the other violas.
We will identify this development pattern as D₃.

Second development, measures 28 to 46

D₁ development pattern

D₂ development pattern

D₃ development pattern

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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46 - 52

C minor

The C minor ritornello is seven bars long. Its first notes - marked in blue - are varied:

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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52 - 73

C minor, F major, D minor and G minor

We immediately move from C minor to F major using the D₃ development pattern.
In bar 55, we modulate to D minor.

Measure 56 - the D₁ pattern of development is used:

Measure 62 - development pattern D₂ leads to G minor:

Measure 65 - the viola da gamba accompanies the D₁ development pattern with repeated eighth notes:

Measure 69 - the development pattern D₂ confirms the key of G minor:

Third development, measures 53 to 73:

Development pattern D₃

Development pattern D₁

Development pattern D₂

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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73 - 80

G minor

The ritornello in G minor is seven bars long:

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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80 - 86

G minor, C minor, Bb major and Eb major

This is the shortest development with only 7 bars.

We start with a variation of the D₁ development. It uses a motif from the end of this pattern.
The cello dialogues with the violas and takes us from G minor to Bb major.

Two bars of the development D₃ conclude with a modulation to Eb major:

Fourth development, measures 80 to 86

Variant of developmental pattern D₁ using the final motif

Development pattern D₃.

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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86 - 91

Eb major

In the ritornello in Eb major, the second viola begins the canon and is imitated by the first viola. From bar 89, the roles are reversed:

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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91 - 114

Eb major, Bb major and F major

The final development begins with a variant of the D₃ pattern. The theme is developed in canonic form.
The second viola imitates the first viola.
The violas da gamba use the first bar motive.
From Eb major we move to F major.

Development pattern D₂ begins at bar 96.
The voices of the canon are inverted, the canon at the seventh becomes a canon at the second.
The violas da gamba insist on the motive of the first bar.

Development pattern D₁ from bar 102:

We end with pattern D₂:

Fifth development, measures 91 to 114:

Development pattern D₃

Development pattern D₂

Development pattern D₁

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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114 - 91

Bb major

The final ritornello is an exact repetition of the first:

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
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Ritornello in Bb major

First development, pattern D₁

First development, pattern D₂

Ritornello in F major

Second development, pattern D₁

Second development, pattern D₂

Second development, pattern D₃

Ritornello in C minor

Third development, pattern D₃

Third development, pattern D₁

Third development, pattern D₂

Ritornello in G minor

Fourth development, pattern D₁ variation

Fourth development, pattern D₃

Ritornello in Eb major

Fifth development, pattern D₃

Fifth development, pattern D₂

Fifth development, pattern D₁

Douglas Boyd (conductor), Gardner Chamber Orchestra (ensemble)
Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 3.0

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. José Rodríguez Alvira.
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