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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major
Composed: 1711-1720
Duration: 20 minutes

The First Brandenburg Concerto is in an amiable, folksy style, at times reminiscent of Telemann. This concerto appears to have been compiled from various earlier works. Parts of it had their origin in the secular Hunting Cantata, probably as far back as 1713. This no doubt accounts for its outdoor sound. The valveless horns, with their limited selection of notes, force the composer to keep the harmony simple, and the rather raucous sound of the three oboes, particularly when they play in unison, makes for a rustic atmosphere. The work concludes with a set of dances, rather in the manner of a baroque suite. Bach returned to this music several times in later years, using some of the movements in both religious and secular cantatas.

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major
Composed: 1711-1720
Duration: 20 minutes

The First Brandenburg Concerto is in an amiable, folksy style, at times reminiscent of Telemann. This concerto appears to have been compiled from various earlier works. Parts of it had their origin in the secular Hunting Cantata, probably as far back as 1713. This no doubt accounts for its outdoor sound. The valveless horns, with their limited selection of notes, force the composer to keep the harmony simple, and the rather raucous sound of the three oboes, particularly when they play in unison, makes for a rustic atmosphere. The work concludes with a set of dances, rather in the manner of a baroque suite. Bach returned to this music several times in later years, using some of the movements in both religious and secular cantatas.