Relayed from the Queen's Hall
Sir HENRY WOOD and his SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BACH wrote his sixth Brandenburg Concerto in six parts, two for the Viola da Braccia (' arm Viol '-—played as the Violin is played), two for the Viola da Gamba (or ' knee Viol '-a forerunner of the Violoncello), one for the ordinary Violoncello and one for the ' Violone ' (Double Bass), with a part for a keyboard instrument, to help fill in the harmonies. Nowadays the parts are divided into two for Violas, three for Violoncellos and one for Double Bass. The absence of Violins (a very rare thing in a work for Strings) gives a curious colour to the tone.
There arc three Movements. In the first there is great activity of the closely woven parts. In the Second (slow) Movement the Violas discuss a singing theme, while the lower strings accompany. The last Movement is in the style of a Gigue.
CARL PHILIP EMANUEL BACH (1714-
1788). the third son of the great Bach, is sometimes called the ' Berlin,' or ' Hamburg ' Bach.
This Concerto, which was apparently not published until its composer had been dead nearly one hundred and thirty years, was originally written for a ' forte piano ' (an early form of the pianoforte we know), and a harpsichord, the pianoforte's plucked-string forerunner; the orchestra consisted of Strings, two Flutes and two Horns. There are three Movements, two very quick ones, with a slow one between, which leads without a break into the last.
THE fourth Brandenburg Concerto, which is not quite so frequently heard as are some of the others, has three Movements-a quick one, a graceful slow one, in which the Flutes hold the melodic line, and a magnificent fugal Finale.