L2 - Features of Brandenburg
Lesson Objectives:
To know that the piece is in ternary form and in the key of D major
To understand what a fugue subject, answer and countersubject are and features of all of them
To understand what is meant by a stretto texture
To be able to identify the different textures and keys within the A section
Ternary Form in D Major
The 3rd movement is in ternary form and in D major with two sharps - F# and C#
Fugue
Fugue Subject
The first A section begins with a 2 bar melody which is called the fugue subject. It is played by the solo violin alone and so has a monophonic texture. Much of the movement is based on this short subject so you will get to know it very well!
Fugue Answer
In bar 3 the solo flute then plays the answer to this fugue subject
As you can hear and see, the answer is the same as the fugue subject but starts a 4th higher from the tonic to the dominant and ends on the dominant A.
Countersubject and Harpsichord
While the solo flute plays the answer to the opening 2 bar subject the solo violin continues playing four detached quavers (b3-4). This is called the countersubject (counter means ‘against’).
You will hear this pattern throughout the movement.
The harpsichord is the last of the three solo instruments to play the fugue subject, which it does first in the LH and then in the RH
Stretto
Sometimes the entries of the subjects overlap.
This is called stretto and can be heard in the harpsichord part at b39.
Can you see how the entry of the subject in the right hand comes in before the left hand has finished?
This gives added intensity to the music—like someone interrupting in a conversation!
Section A - Texture and Tonality
The texture is nearly always contrapuntal. Because of the use of the fugue subject and answer, we can call the texture fugal as well, which is a type of contrapuntal texture.
The movement begins with 2 bars of the solo violin alone, which is a monophonic texture.
As soon as the solo flute joins in at bar 3 the texture becomes contrapuntal with a 2 part texture with two equal musical lines.
When the harpsichord comes in at bar 9 the texture has now three equal musical lines—still a contrapuntal texture! The use of stretto adds to the textural interest
Review Questions:
1) What is the structure of the 3rd movement of Brandenburg No. 5?
2) Name the key of the 3rd movement of Brandenburg No. 5
3) Which solo instrument introduces the fugue subject and what is the texture here?
4) Identify two features of the fugue subject
5) The solo flute plays the fugue answer. Identify the difference between this and the fugue subject
6) Describe the countersubject
7) Describe what is meant by stretto
8) Name three textures heard in the A section of the 3rd movement of Brandenburg No. 5
9) Name the keys modulated to from the tonic D major in the A section