Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 BWV 1046 - IV. Menuetto, Trio, Polacca

The structure of the fourth movement is similar to a rondo. A minuet is repeated alternating with two trios and a polacca. All sections are in binary form. Click on the sections for detailed analysis:

Section	Measures
	1-4	The oboes, violins, and viola present the theme (in red). In the second measure, the bassoon, cello, and continuo answer. The horns set a tonic pedal tone. We start with a secondary dominant of the IV degree.
5-8	The pedal tone of the horns moves to a C as an internal voice.
9-12	The pedal tone is now a G (dominant of the dominant). In measure 12, we rest on the dominant.
	15-18	The bassoon, cello, and continuo imitate the oboes, violins, and viola. Internal dominant pedal tone on the horns.
19-22	Dominant of the dominant pedal tone.
22-26	Dominant pedal tone as internal voice. We end on tonic.

Section
	After moving through the relative major, the first phrase concludes in D minor.
	Section B takes us through the keys of C major and G minor before returning to D minor via F major.

Section
	We start with a tonic pedal over which alternate harmonies of tonic and dominant. In measure 12, it becomes a dominant pedal of the dominant, followed by a dominant pedal to end in C major.
	Section B begins with a tonic pedal on C major. It modulates to D minor, B flat major before returning to F major to end.

Section
	Harmonies of tonic and dominant. The horns play the upper staff, the oboes in unison the other one.
	In addition to the tonic and dominant harmonies, we find a IV degree in measure 23.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. José Rodríguez Alvira.
Published by teoria.com

Search • Write to us

Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 BWV 1046 - IV. Menuetto, Trio, Polacca

José Rodríguez Alvira

Menuetto

First trio

Polacca

Second trio

Complete movement