Famous works · Baroque
Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051
Dedicated 24 March 1721
Six concertos, each for a different group of instruments, showing everything the Baroque concerto could be.
The story behind it
Bach was then music director at the court of Cöthen. He sent a fair copy to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, perhaps hoping for a job.
There is no record the Margrave ever had them played. The manuscript was rediscovered in 1849.
No. 5 contains a long harpsichord solo, often called the seed of the keyboard concerto.
What to listen for
- The trumpet soaring high above everything in No. 2.
- The harpsichord cadenza in No. 5's first movement.