A Picnic with Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 2
The Best Moments
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047
I'm Johann Sebastian Bach, and what follows are the best moments of my Brandenburg Concerto No 2. You'll hear how two bright F major movements frame a hushed D minor Andante, and that sudden change of mood is the reason these highlights repay your time. Come and give the Trainer a go , where my fellow composers and I also teach you on this site to recognize our pieces when you meet them.
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A Door Too Small For Five Guests
When I open the first movement, I don't even write a tempo marking, so players have simply agreed over the years to take it as an Allegro. Then the trumpet, recorder, oboe and violin all arrive together with the strings and harpsichord, like a whole family squeezing through one front door, and somehow everyone gets inside.
The Trumpet Takes A Break
Here I send the trumpet out of the room, because the natural trumpet plays only in major keys and this Andante is in D minor. The large accompanying group stays quiet as well, so only the small band of soloists is left, and the mood turns calm and thoughtful.
Back In The Race
I save the finale, marked Allegro assai, for a return to F major, and the trumpet comes back as if it had only stepped out for a glass of water. Since this is the last movement of the concerto, it moves very quickly, and the soloists chase one another so closely that you hardly have time to lean back.
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I hope you enjoyed learning about the best moments of Brandenburg Concerto No 2 as much as I enjoyed telling you about them. Looking back, I think what stays with me is how much room there is in a piece that lasts only a short while. A bright trumpet, a gentle recorder, an oboe and a violin all get their turn, and the music still feels like one warm conversation. There is still plenty more to explore in Brandenburg Concerto No 2. You could listen for how the soloists answer one another, or follow the harpsichord as it quietly holds everything together underneath. It's also worth hearing the concerto in more than one recording, because every group of players finds something slightly different in it. If you'd like to go further, I invite you to click on the links below and keep exploring Brandenburg Concerto No 2 at your own pace.