Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

The Brandenburg concertos (BWV 1046–1051) by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg, in 1721 (though probably composed earlier). They are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era.

Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major may have been written while Bach was at Weimar, given that it (along with Nos.1 and 6) is reminiscent of the Italian concerto, a genre with which Bach was fascinated at the time. The motoric rhythm, clear melodic outline, and motivic construction owe a lot to the comparable works of Vivaldi, but the clarified harmony and more interesting counterpoint are unmistakably Bach's.

The work's two main sections, both in G major (one alla breve, the other in 12/8 time), are separated by a brief Adagio which may be realized as a short violin cadenza. The relationship between the instruments is subjective to the listener; as the positioning of the parts fluctuates, it may appear that there are no soloists, that the players are all soloists, or that the violins, violas, and cellos occupy their own solo groups. The Italian concerto grosso's distinction between concertino (a small group of soloists) and ripieno (the full ensemble) becomes in Bach's hands, and especially distinctively in the Brandenburg Concerto No.3, a kaleidoscopic range of colors and shades.

In the modern era these works have been performed by large orchestras with conductors using a fairly substantial string section, this tends to minimize the impact of the soloists. Tonight’s performance uses the original scoring: 3 Violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos and basso continuo. As in the Baroque era, composers would often rearrange their works based on the ensemble that was available. So tonight, in that context, we are allowing additional violins to participate in the orchestral tutti section, this way it allows the soloist to be heard, and at the same time we can hear the full resounding tutti sections.