KGR Music - Brandenburg Info

The series of Six Brandenburg Concerti was commissioned by Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, who was a "lavish" amateur musician. Completed in March of 1721, the accompanying letter of dedication from Bach reads in part, "... I take the liberty to present my most humble duty, to your Royal Highness in these Concerti, begging your Highness not to judge them by the standards of your own refined and delicate taste, but to seek in them rather the expression of my profound respect and obedience. I beg your Royal Highness to continue your gracious favour toward me ...".

The second Brandenburg is unorthodox in that the solo group (concertino) comprises four instruments. Of the separate movements, Philipp Spitta wrote, "The marvelously beautiful andante is soft and tenderly simple, while the first and last movements rush and riot with all the freshness and vigor of youth".

The trumpet part is considered one of the most difficult in the instrument's repertoire, (either for natural or valved trumpet). It does not play in the second movement, presumably to allow the player to rest.

This work was chosen to be the first on the "golden record", a record containing a sample of the planet Earth's common sounds, languages and music, which was sent into space with the Voyager probe launched in 1977.


	Marian Thorpe - recorder Ian Franklin - oboe Sander Kostallari - violin Kenneth Robinson - trumpet The series of Six Brandenburg Concerti was commissioned by Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, who was a "lavish" amateur musician. Completed in March of 1721, the accompanying letter of dedication from Bach reads in part, "... I take the liberty to present my most humble duty, to your Royal Highness in these Concerti, begging your Highness not to judge them by the standards of your own refined and delicate taste, but to seek in them rather the expression of my profound respect and obedience. I beg your Royal Highness to continue your gracious favour toward me ...". The second Brandenburg is unorthodox in that the solo group (concertino) comprises four instruments. Of the separate movements, Philipp Spitta wrote, "The marvelously beautiful andante is soft and tenderly simple, while the first and last movements rush and riot with all the freshness and vigor of youth". The trumpet part is considered one of the most difficult in the instrument's repertoire, (either for natural or valved trumpet). It does not play in the second movement, presumably to allow the player to rest. This work was chosen to be the first on the "golden record", a record containing a sample of the planet Earth's common sounds, languages and music, which was sent into space with the Voyager probe launched in 1977.