What good is a centerpiece but to add to the pomp and pride and beauty of a ceremonial occasion? The Polonaise is historically such a centerpiece for such an elegant, lavish affair. Chopin is the natural figure for the Polonaise, a stately dance for pairs, but it was known much earlier to the Baroque composers. Bach was no stranger to Polish style, as shown in this centerpiece Polonaise to the Menuet of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1.
When Bender the robot was driftless in space with his candelabra, he realized it belonged on a piano centerpiece. It was a shame that he couldn't manage to get his Chopin working before he got too frustrated.
Polonaise from the Menuet of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trios I and II
Oboe talk today!
Mastering this instrument is almost unreasonably challenging, but the juice is worth the squeeze -- the baroque oboe, when played truly well, is one of the most rewardingly beautiful instruments.
Musical examples, as always, are courtesy of the Netherlands Bach Society. Check out their "All of Bach" project.
Referenced in today's episode:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio I (2 oboes and bassoon) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio II (2 horns and 3 unison oboes) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society
Short documentary video on the baroque oboe, featuring NBS oboist Katharina Verhaar
Another cantata we referenced today: Vergnügte Ruh (BWV 170)
Scott Leger horn - youtube short - excerpt from Brandenburg 1 trio II
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Menuet
The three instrument families in this big baroque orchestra leads us to speculate that Bach represented three social classes: the royal elite (elegant strings, one leader), the aristocratic nobles (horns, for upper-class hunting expeditions), and the common people (reeds, as for outdoor bands or shepherding). Bach concludes the concerto with the elegant and grand menuet (note his spelling; not "minuet"). The French dance exudes class and status, though in this case, the hunters and even the common townsfolk are invited to participate in the great dance of strings, reeds, and horns.
In this episode we discuss the repeating refrain section, called the "menuet" section. There are three other parts of the complete structure to be discussed in our next two episodes.
Audio note: at 20:55-21:15, we recommend stereo listening, so that you can hear the two pitches/beats separated to the left (bottom pitch; slower beating) and right (higher pitch by perfect fifth interval; faster beating). The respective ratio is 2:3. As it gets slower, listen for two clicks on the left for every three on the right.
Menuet of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: movement 3
The "rule of three" is in full effect here, as Bach carries us along with this jaunty dance, rhythmic triplets and triple sets of musical sentences abounding with life and energy. This eloquent piece can be considered a precursor to the later "sonata form" of the Classical period, along with Bach's other Brandenburg concertos.
Performance of movement 3 of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: movement 2
A far far cry from the happy hunting horns of the first part, the second part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 is a bitter adagio. To modern ears, its aesthetic of dark gangster drama is less galant, and more "Godfather."
(Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.)
Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society
Welcome to A Moment of Bach, where we take our favorite moments from J. S Bach's vast output—just a minute's worth or even a few seconds—and show you why we think they are remarkable. Join hosts Alex Guebert and Christian Guebert for weekly moments!
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Our recording samples are provided by the Netherlands Bach Society. Their monumental All of Bach project (to perform and record all of the works of J. S. Bach) serves as source material for our episodes.
https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en
https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach
Artwork by Sydney LaCom
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