Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major is the only one of the set without soloists. Rather, this is a concerto for the whole ensemble, a virtuoso celebration of the entire violin family, where Bach divides the players into three groups: trios of violins, violas and cellos. The musical interest throughout is in the constantly shifting alliances between and within these three groupings—together with the occasional moment when a single instrument enjoys a fleeting taste of solo glory. Unusually, Bach didn’t write a slow movement. All he supplied were two linking chords marked “Adagio”, which performers have interpreted in a variety of ways. For some, it suggests the insertion of a slow movement from elsewhere, or a solo improvisation for violin or harpsichord; given Bach’s meticulousness, though, he may simply have wanted to preserve the drive and intensity of the fast movements on either side with no more than the briefest pause for breath. The finale is indeed a breathless perpetuum mobile—a masterpiece of collective virtuosity without a single soloist in sight. In 1729 Bach sonorously rescored the opening movement—adding parts for two horns and three oboes—creating a magnificent introduction to Cantata No. 174, “Ich liebe den Höchsten”. About J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos The Brandenburg Concertos are the greatest job application ever assembled. In 1721, Bach dedicated his score to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg, not in fulfilment of a commission, but hoping to impress his way into the Margrave’s service. The title Brandenburg Concertos was actually invented by Bach’s first biographer in 1873; Bach himself just referred to them as Six Concertos for Several Instruments. They were not conceived as a set, nor intended specifically for the Margrave, but were mostly written during Bach’s time as Kapellmeister at the court of Cöthen (1717-23). Here he worked with a varied and talented group of instrumentalists who spurred him on to explore the potential of the concerto, which he reinvented with each new work.