BachÊs use of alterations to Ritornello and Fortspinnung in the Allegro of Brandenburg Concerto no. 5
Ed Edwards
One of the most fascinating characteristics of BachÊs music is that it is intensely mathematical and calculated, every interval serving a purpose for the overall movement of the music. As a result, a common response to BachÊs music is that it lacks emotion or any values deeper than dazzling technique and skill of the utmost precision. There is, however, a strong argument on the other side of this debate: all of BachÊs music, all his fugues, preludes, oratorios, concertos, chorales and inventions were written to worship God, indeed, at the beginning of many of his scores he wrote the prefix Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam †. Bach was an extremely devout Christian, and part of a large family, most of whom were Protestant, all of whom were religious, and his form of prayer was to write music for the Lord. Indeed, he often wrote a small phrase at the beginning and end of his scores. At the beginning he inscribed Jesu Juva (Jesus, help me) and at the end Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God alone) 1 . His devotion translates itself neatly into his music in the form of quality of endlessness: upon listening to a Trio Sonata for example or a movement from a Brandenburg Concerto, one can get a sense that the music could go on forever, eternally varying and repeating itself. So when the approach to the cadence and the cadence itself come, they come almost as a surprise, cutting off the flow of the melodies and bringing the music to a decisive, powerful – and sometimes unexpected – ending. I personally think that this endless quality is a reflection of the constant nature of God, who has always been and will forever continue to be. Despite this rather subjective argument, there is concrete evidence in BachÊs music that proves he is making a concerted effort to extend the music beyond what the usual
forms and structures would allow (that is, if they were used in their intended manner at the time). To mention and analyse all this evidence and all the techniques used would require more than just an essay, so in an attempt to cover this matter sufficiently, I will be focusing on the use of the fortspinnung structure and ritornello form in the Allegro (first movement) of Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, and how Bach blends concerto grosso with concerto solo to form a hybrid genre. I will start by explaining what the form is, then what Bach does to it which is unconventional, and then I will address the types of concerto and again how he plays with them. To begin with, all of the Brandenburg concertos (not just the fifth) are a combination of French, German, Italian and even English styles 2 , owing to BachÊs more inclusive view of form which serves to make the structure of the Brandenburg concertos more complex than that of other concertos (VivaldiÊs for example, whom Bach was very much influenced by). Aside from their actual structure, the set-up of these concertos can be confusing. Concerto grosso, a very popular and well-used genre of concerto developed in the late 17 th century, comprised of a small group of soloists called the concertino and the rest of the orchestra, the tutti, or ripieno. It is here that Bach next mixes things up. In 2 For example, an English style would be sections of triplets, like in bars 13-15, an Italian style would be sequences of these triplets, the German style is the general contrapuntal nature of the music (more so than in Vivaldi, who employed a heavier style of counterpoint, with less agility) found especially in the lengthy harpsichord solo and a French style would be dotted rhythm patterns, which do not appear in great quantity in the Adagio, but can be found in the Prelude of his fifth cello suite (BWV 1011), which is written in the style of French overture
1 The Triumph of Music , Tim Blanning p.82
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