The Best of the Baroque: Bach and Vivaldi
1. Introduction
This e-concert features early music by two of the most important Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. The concert opens with Bach’s well-known Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, a work that showcases the virtuosity of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. The second part of the concert features Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concerti that are among the best-loved pieces of classical music. Each concerto is a descriptive composition that evokes the sounds and sights of nature, from the birdsong of spring to the thunderstorms of summer.
2. Part 1: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is one of Bach’s most popular works. It is a programmatic piece, meaning that it was written to describe an event or tell a story. In this case, the story is one of virtuosity, as the piece showcases the skills of the musicians in the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. The concerto is in three movements, each featuring a different combination of instruments. The first movement features a solo harpsichord, accompanied by strings and flutes. The second movement is a dance-like duet for violin and harpsichord, while the third and final movement is a lively Vivace for the full orchestra.
3. Part 2: The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons is a set of four violin concerti that each describe a different season of the year. Vivaldi was inspired to write the piece after seeing a series of paintings by 315th-century artist Niccolò Poussin that depicted the seasons as young women. In Spring, we hear the birdsong of earliest morning; in Summer, we hear the sound of thunderstorms; in Autumn, we hear leaves rustling in the wind; and in Winter, we hear crackling fires and icicles tinkling in the cold air. Each concerto is written in a different key and features different combinations of instruments, creating a unique soundscape for each season.
4. Conclusion
This e-concert features two of the most important composers from the Baroque era, Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. The first part of the concert features Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, a work that showcases the virtuosity of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. The second part features Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concerti that each describe a different season of the year. These pieces are some of the best-loved works from the Baroque era, and they are sure to delight any fan of classical music