JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048
The six Brandenburg Concertos were written for the Margrave of Brandenburg, whom Bach met in Berlin in 1719 whilst buying a new harpsichord. The Margrave did not seem particularly impressed with these six masterpieces when Bach sent them to him, complete with a famous dedication in French, in 1721. Indeed, it is doubtful if they were ever performed at all by their princely recipient, and on the Margrave's death they were sold off for a pittance.
Although not really conceived as a group, the six works seem to have been brought together to demonstrate different ways of writing "concertos for several instruments" as the autograph title page calls them. By using different combinations of instruments, Bach deliberately set himself in each work a different problem of instrumental sonority and texture, to the solution of which he brought all his skill and creative powers.
In Concerto No. 3, Bach divides the string band into groups of three; violins, violas, and cellos, together with bass and continuo. The use of these groups is infinitely varied, with different combinations of soloists mingling freely with the tuttis. The bubbling last movement is also unusual; a binary dance form whose second section is three times as long as the first.
There is no written slow movement. The two adagio chords on the dominant of E minor separate the two outer movements suggest that Bach envisaged that an improvised movement ending on the two cadence chords should be interposed. This is done by either a group of players or more probably an individual soloist.
GERALD FINZI (1901-1956)
5 Bagatelles for Clarinet and String Ensemble
Gerald Finzi was born in London on the 14th July 1901. He epitomized much that was characteristic of English music, literature and landscape. He was part of a generation of composers who came to maturity in the middle of the 20th century such as Ralph Vaughn Williams, Gustav Holst and Arthur Bliss. He had a great love for literature and collected a valuable library of 17th century books. This love for Literature and Landscape is portrayed in his music.
Finzi wrote the Five Bagatelles between 1938 and 1943, which were originally for clarinet and piano. As the name implies, they are short pieces, but each has a distinctive character, coloured by Finzi's feeling for folk song and early English music.
The Prelude is characterized by flowing ascending scales that are played by the clarinet and the piano interchangeably. There is a middle passage that is slower and very lyrical. Then, the piece returns to its original tempo for a thrilling finish. The Romance is exactly that. This piece is a quiet, smooth and very lyrical. The freedom in this piece is seen in the changing time signature.
The intensity of the piece rises due to a slightly faster tempo taken in the middle passage. Then the piano reduces the mood to its original tranquility, where the clarinet responds repeating the first theme. The final bagatelle, Fughetta, is characterized by a mini fugue between the clarinet and the piano. The fast tempo and technical demand of the piece makes it exciting to listen to. The Fughetta is an grand conclusion to the Bagatelles.
SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981)
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
American composer Samuel Barber (1910-1981) originally composed his “Adagio for Strings” as the second movement of his First String Quartet, Op. 11 in 1936. Two years later, at the request of the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, Barber rewrote the work for string orchestra. The premiere of this version was broadcast from New York on November 5, 1938 to millions of listeners across America. Written when the composer was just 26, it is Barber’s most popular work and is also one of the most popular and recognizable works of the twentieth century. The piece is often considered the “unofficial American anthem of mourning” and was performed at the funerals of two American presidents: Roosevelt and Kennedy.
Serenade for Strings, Op. 1
First composed in 1928 for String Quartet and later arranged for String Orchestra, Barber’s Serenade for Strings has quickly become accepted as standard repertoire for today’s orchestras. This three movement work continues in the American nostalgic tone.
