× Upcoming Events Our Musicians Keeping You Safe Your At-Concert Guide Thank You to Our Donors Symphony Nova Scotia Foundation Land Acknowledgement Past Events
Home Our Musicians Keeping You Safe Your At-Concert Guide Thank You to Our Donors Symphony Nova Scotia Foundation Land Acknowledgement
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major
Composed: 1711-1720
Duration: 21 minutes

The usual practice would have been to provide a set of concertos all for the same instrumentation. But the Brandenburg Concertos are for quite diverse instruments, calling for the highest level of virtuosity. It seems likely that Bach did not actually compose these works for the Margrave, but sent ones that he had previously performed with his own orchestra. There is no evidence that the Margrave ever had them performed, and in any case his orchestra could probably not have coped with their technical demands.

The Fifth Brandenburg Concerto is perhaps the first concerto ever written in which the harpsichord has a solo part. Its part is indeed a very special, taxing one, with a tremendous cadenza towards the end of the first movement. It is tempting to speculate that Bach wrote it for himself, to inaugurate the recently acquired Berlin instrument.

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major
Composed: 1711-1720
Duration: 21 minutes

The usual practice would have been to provide a set of concertos all for the same instrumentation. But the Brandenburg Concertos are for quite diverse instruments, calling for the highest level of virtuosity. It seems likely that Bach did not actually compose these works for the Margrave, but sent ones that he had previously performed with his own orchestra. There is no evidence that the Margrave ever had them performed, and in any case his orchestra could probably not have coped with their technical demands.

The Fifth Brandenburg Concerto is perhaps the first concerto ever written in which the harpsichord has a solo part. Its part is indeed a very special, taxing one, with a tremendous cadenza towards the end of the first movement. It is tempting to speculate that Bach wrote it for himself, to inaugurate the recently acquired Berlin instrument.