J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047

Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos are among his most popular works. The dedication page to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt from 1721 when Bach was Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold in Köthen. The premier performance would have occurred in the hall of mirrors at the Köthen castle, and that’s where the performance in the video below takes place.

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 features the trumpet, oboe, and flute as solo instruments. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra plays on period instruments of the kind Bach’s orchestra might have used. Notice that the Baroque trumpet in this video has vents (you see the performer using his fingers to cover small holes in the tubing). The natural trumpet common in the period had no valves.

In music of the Baroque era each individual movement establishes a tempo and mood that stays consistent throughout—what musicologists call the Doctrine of the Affections. This is part of the appeal that Baroque music has, and it stands in stark contrast to the ever shifting moods of the Romantic era. Compare the episodic character and mood shifts of the Chopin Ballade that was featured last week as you list to the second Brandenburg Concerto.

To watch the video below, click here.

Since the performance was filmed in the hall at Köthen, it is worth adding an excerpt from Professor Carol’s visit to Köthen featuring the commentary of local Pressespreacher Christian Ratzel. Köthen is well worth a visit if you are in the area and could easily be combined with a day trip to nearby Wittenberg.