Bach: Brandenburg Concertos

Cambridge Music Handbooks

by Boyd

The Brandenburg Concertos represent a pinnacle in the history of the Baroque concerto, as well as being among the most universally admired of all Bach's works. This fascinating new guide places the concertos in their historical context, investigates their sources, traces their origins and discusses the changing traditions of performance that have affected the way listeners have understood them since Bach's time. The work's rich instrumentarium is carefully described, and a substantial chapter considers each concerto individually, revealing those aspects of their style and structure that make this group of works a unique and towering landmark in the history of the genre.

Genres: Music

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging read that breaks down the unique musical structure and history of the Brandenburg's. Didn't quite overwhelm me with musical information and I am, at best, a musical dilettante.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful sure, but a little general. More of a theoretical analysis than a musicological one.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid analysis of the Brandenburg concertos. I appreciated the bar numbers referenced in the text and little excerpts. It would have been nice if some more backstory to the concertos was included, and some of the mystery surrounding them.

[Drunken_orangetree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, scholarly account of these pieces. But, despite his thorough scholarship, Boyd says not one word about why people still find the Brandenburg concertos so compelling.