Second Movement
Bach had a strong ability to unite his music by reusing the main theme or by repeating the same rhythmic pattern throughout the whole movement. The second movement of Bach’s A minor violin concerto (the ‘Andanate in C’) is in the relative major of the tonic key. It does not have any particular form there. This is one of his characteristic ‘cantilenas’. The lyrical melody line is played on the same pattern and same intervals of the recurrent bass line. (See Example 10 below) An ostinato bass pattern and semiquaver triplets in the solo parts are the basis for the whole movement.
Example 10 (The first four bar of second movement in A minor)
In this movement, the opening was not played by the tutti. After four bars of introduction, the solo comes in to play the melody line. The melody line is dominated by the triple figure. Besides, the motive ideas of the first movement reappear in bar 9 played by the first violin. Later on, the key of D major emerges in bar 10. Bach used the five bars (bar 10-14) for preparating the modulation. Then the new key starts on bar 14, G major. Bach also used chromaticism to extend his musical ideas, which made the sound richer and more colourful if we compare this with Vivaldi’s concerto.
As for the characteristic ‘cantilenas’, the light accompaniment writing can help to highlight the lyrical melodic line. Besides, the inner parts are reduced to playing on the beat chords so that the listener’s attention is focused on the moving outside parts. (See Example 11 below)
Example 11 (Second movement bar 9)
Bach uses the same kind of composing techniques in the second movement of his E major violin concerto. The second movement is in ¾ time in the ‘Adagio in C sharp minor’ the relative minor of the tonic key. It is the same as the second movement of the violin concerto in A minor. The ostinato bass here is used to intertwine the music as well. Besides, it is clear that Bach liked to use the ornaments to decorate the melodic line.
In this slow ‘Adagio’ movement, the solo violin joins the tutti by holding a long note after five bars of light introduction with ostinato bass. The light accompaniment part can highlight the cello part with Ostinato bass as like the second movement of violin concerto in A minor (See Example 12 below)
Example 12 (Second movement bar 1-5)
Besides, the double stop has been used in this movement again. Although, Bach used the same figure (double stop) in this movement as A minor concerto used, but he kept to introduce the new ideas in his music. For example, the fermata was added to the end of the section end by means of crochet rest. It seems the end of this movement. However, Bach used the dominant major C sharp minor as the end of this section in bar 21, so the sound produced by the chord is not really the end of the music. For instance, the chord starting the next section was back to the tonic key of C sharp minor. The continuity of the music, however, has not been broken down.
One distinct characteristic of this movement is the use of articulation. Bach used the different combination of articulation to colour and create his music. It can enrich the texture and make the music become more fluent. Besides, the two note slurs were drawn from the main texture in the tutti passage. Then, the semiquaver note joined in the tutti after holding a long note value. (See Example 13 below) We can see from this how Bach’s sense of melody and lyricism was?
Example 13 (Second movement bar 83)
Third Movement
The third movement, Allegro assai is written in 9/8 and set in the tonic key of A minor. This movement does not have any particular form. But the talent of Bach’s counterpoint writing can be seen clearly. This movement is full of energy because of the tempo and the driving dance-like rhythmic. It can also show the brilliant technique of the solo violinist.
He used the same technique in the final movement of A minor as he does in the first movement; the first violins play the main theme in unison together with the solo violin in the opening. Bach uses formal contrapuntal elements in the ritornello, which is designed like a fugal composition. After the subject comes in, the second violin plays the subject in the last quaver beat of bar 4 with in the dominant key. Later on, the cello comes in and joins the texture as a tonic key in the last quaver beat of bar 8. Then the viola plays the subject again in the last quaver of bar 14 in the key of D. After all the instruments have played the subject in turn, the solo violin comes in bar 25 with the light accompaniment and change to A major afterward. (See Example 14 below)
Example 14 (Third movement bar 25-26)
In this movement, Bach introduces some new materials when we compare it with the third movement of his A minor concerto. He wrote some triple stopping in the solo violin part at the end of the section in bar 90. Then it returned back to the first section in last quaver beat of bar 90, the solo and first violin playing in unison. But there is a little variation after four bars recapitulation.
The finale of the Violin Concerto in E major, Allegro assai is in 3/8 rondo form (See the chart below for the details of structure.) with the tonic key E major. The mood of this movement is rather different when compared with the third movement of the A minor concerto. It is a dance-like in character but without the driving force. In these three concertos, every movement ends in the tonic, even the violin concerto in D minor as well. It is no exception therefore. Moreover, the key of the final movement must return back to the tonic key.
After a brief analysis of the overall structure, it is so amazing that how Bach planned the movement. He used the same number of bars in every section, except section E, the section before the end. Although, the number of bars in section E is not in 16 bars and Bach rather doubles the bar number to 32. In it, Bach probably wanted to emphasie the new materials of demi-semi-quaver in this section, so he double the number of bars.
The opening tutti is played by solo and first violin. After the tutti section ends on the tonic key, the solo violin comes in with a continuo accompaniment only in section B. It lasts for the whole section B. Later on, he added back the others part in section C.
The final thing that I wish to cover is regarded the technique used by Bach in D minor violin concerto. The basic technique of Bach used is the contrapuntal writing. Obviously, we can find the contrapuntal writing in those movements. However, he introduced new materials of canonic style writing in the second movement of D minor concerto. According to the Oxford Dictionary, canon means ‘rule’ and, musically, it is applied to counterpoint in which one melodic strand gives the rule to another, or to all the others, which must, at an interval of time, imitate it, note for note. It is the strictest form of contrapuntal imitation.
From these three concertos, a few important points can be drawn out to conclude this essay. Bach definitely intended to retain the traditional compositional technique in his concertos. The three-movement works in fast : slow : fast tempos, with key changes to dominant or relative minor. He did not break down the basic format and rules of the concerto composition. On the contrary, he developed and introduced the idea based on the traditional compositional style. It is clear that his compositions however, are more advanced than those by the Vivaldi.
In the first movement, he kept the opening in tutti but the solo and first violin played the main theme in unison. As a result, the main theme is prominent. Besides, he enriched the texture by writing a two bars solo passage to interrupt the tutti passage.
In the second movement, the ostinato bass is used. The same pattern of recurrent bass line played over an extremely lyrical melodic line. Plenty of triplet notes are also used to intertwine the music. Besides, the different combination of the articulation was added in the solo violin. For example, two notes slur etc. And Bach wrote many chromatic notes to decorate the melodic line. For instance, the rondo form and contrapuntal writing was added in the third movement.
J.S.Bach has often been called the ‘Father of Music’. With regards of the concerto form, this is not an exaggeration.
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Bibliography
Book resources:-
- Donald Jay Grout & Claude V.Palisca, A History of Western Music, (5th ed., New York, 1996)
- Roy Bennett, History of Music, (Cambridge, 1987)
- Oxford Composer Companions J.S.Bach, Ed. by Malcolm Boyd and John Butt, (Oxford, 1999)
- Frank Howes, “Johann Sebastian Bach”, The Concerto, ed. by Ralph Hill, (London, 1966)
- Michael Thomas Roeder, A History of The Concerto, (1994, Hong Kong)
- Michael Kennedy, Oxford Concise Dictionary Music, (4th ed., Oxford, 1996)
- Malcolm Boyd, Bach, (New York, 2000)
Website resources:-
- http://www.classicalarchives.com/bios/bach_bio_hl.html (Access dated 22 Dec, 2006)
- http://jsundram.freeshell.org/ProgramNotes/Bach_Concerto.html (Access dated 30 Dec, 2006)
- http://www.bach.org/bach101/instrumental/concerto_e_maj.html (Access dated 30 Dec, 2006)
- http://www.answers.com/topic/concerto-for-violin-strings-continuo-no-1-in-a-minor bwv-1041 (Access dated 31 Dec, 2006)
- http://www.answers.com/topic/concerto-for-violin-strings-continuo-no-1-in-a-minor bwv-1041 (Access
dated 31 Dec, 2006)
Music Score:-
From the music library
- Bach Violin concerto in A minor (607078)
- Bach Violin concerto in Emajor (607082)
- Bach Double Violin concerto in D minor (607085)
Recording resources:-
From the music library
- J.S.Bach, Solo & Double Violin Concerto (CD 2566)
Photographs:-
- Picture from Classical.net, http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/bachjs.html
Written by Cheng Po Chun (Eva) @2007
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