Johann Sebastian Bach was basically a freelancer looking for a steady gig when he sent a collection of six concertos to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, in 1721. He wasn't trying to change music history. He just wanted a job. But looking back, the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major stands out as the weirdest, most revolutionary piece in that entire set. It’s the moment the harpsichord stopped being the "backup band" and started acting like a rock star.
Most people think of the piano concerto as starting with Mozart or maybe Haydn. Nope. Bach did it first, and he did it on a harpsichord that was probably screaming for mercy by the end of the first movement.
The harpsichord player who got tired of waiting
Before this piece existed, the harpsichord was the glue. It played the basso continuo, which is just a fancy way of saying it kept the beat and filled in the chords while the "real" instruments like the violin and flute did the flashy stuff. In the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major, Bach flips the script. You have the usual suspects: a solo violin and a solo flute. But then there’s the harpsichord.
At first, it behaves. It plays along, minding its own business. But as the first movement progresses, it starts getting pushy. It takes over. Eventually, the rest of the orchestra just... stops. They sit there. For several minutes, the harpsichordist plays a massive, complicated, and frankly terrifying solo called a cadenza. It’s loud. It’s fast. It’s full of scales that sound more like 1970s prog-rock than 1720s chamber music.
Bach likely wrote this specifically to show off a new harpsichord he had brought back from Berlin. He was a gearhead. He wanted to see what the new machine could do. Honestly, if you’re Bach and you’re the best keyboard player in the world, why wouldn't you write a piece that makes everyone else look at you?
Why the D Major key actually matters here
You’ve probably noticed that "D Major" part of the title. It isn't just a random label. In the Baroque era, different keys had different "vibes" or affects. D Major was the key of triumph, light, and big public celebrations. It’s bright.
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In the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major, that brightness is essential because of the flute. Back then, flutes were made of wood, not metal. They weren't very loud. If Bach had written this in a "darker" or more complex key, the flute would have been buried by the strings. By picking D Major, he allowed the wooden transverse flute to cut through the texture with a sweet, piercing clarity. It’s a bit of acoustic engineering disguised as art.
Breaking down the movements
The first movement (Allegro) is the big one. It’s about nine to ten minutes of pure energy. This is where that famous 65-measure harpsichord solo lives. If you’re listening to a recording and you think the harpsichordist is improvising or has gone off the rails, they haven't. Bach wrote every single note of that madness down. He didn't trust anyone else to "wing it" with that much complexity.
Then everything changes.
The second movement, marked Affettuoso, is intimate. It’s just the three soloists: flute, violin, and harpsichord. The rest of the orchestra goes backstage for a coffee break. It feels like a private conversation. It’s tender, a bit sad, and incredibly delicate.
Finally, the third movement (Allegro) kicks in with a jig-like rhythm. It’s a gigue. It’s bouncy and fun, but it’s also a fugue. This means the instruments are "chasing" each other with the same melody. It’s a workout for the brain and the ears.
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The mystery of the "Brandenburg" name
Here’s a fun fact: Bach never called these the Brandenburg Concertos. He called them Six Concerts avec plusieurs instruments. The name "Brandenburg" was slapped on them by a biographer named Philipp Spitta over a hundred years later.
And the Margrave? The guy Bach sent them to? He probably never even heard them played. His orchestra wasn't big enough or skilled enough to handle the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major. The manuscript was found years later, basically gathering dust in a library. Bach didn't even get a "thank you" note, let alone a job offer.
What most people get wrong about the harpsichord solo
There’s a common myth that this concerto was an accident—that Bach was just filling time. That’s nonsense. The structure of the harpsichord solo is mathematically brilliant. It starts with simple patterns and slowly breaks them down into shorter and shorter notes until the rhythm is a blur of sound.
Musicologist Susan McClary once famously (and controversially) argued that the harpsichord solo represents a kind of social revolt—the "lowly" accompaniment instrument rising up to overthrow the "aristocratic" soloists. While that might be reading a bit too much 20th-century politics into 18th-century music, it’s hard to ignore the sheer power of that moment. It feels like someone breaking the rules in real-time.
How to listen to it like an expert
If you want to really "get" the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major, don't just put it on as background music while you fold laundry. You’ll miss the best parts.
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- Watch the clock: In the first movement, wait for the seven-minute mark. That’s usually when the harpsichord starts its solo. Notice how the violin and flute just fade away.
- Listen for the "Conversation": In the second movement, try to follow one instrument at a time. See how the flute asks a question and the violin answers it.
- Check the instruments: If you’re watching a video, look at the flute. Is it silver or wood? A "period-accurate" performance will use a wooden flute, which sounds much mellower and "breathier" than a modern one.
Practical steps for your next listen
If you’re ready to dive deeper into this masterpiece, start with these specific versions. Not all recordings are created equal.
- The "Old School" approach: Listen to Karl Richter and the Münchener Bach-Orchester. It’s grand, heavy, and uses modern instruments. It feels like a cathedral.
- The "Period" approach: Find the recording by Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert. They use instruments that Bach would have recognized. The harpsichord is zingy, and the strings have a raw, gut-string bite.
- The "Wild" approach: Check out Jean-Rondeau’s harpsichord performances. He plays the solo in the first movement with a level of energy that makes it sound like it was written yesterday.
Once you’ve listened to those, compare the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D Major to the others in the set. No. 2 has a crazy high trumpet part. No. 6 doesn't use violins at all. But No. 5? No. 5 is the one that changed the keyboard's destiny forever.
Next time you hear a piano concerto by Beethoven or Rachmaninoff, remember that it all started with Bach getting a new harpsichord and deciding to show off just a little bit.
Actionable Insight: Spend ten minutes today listening specifically to the first movement's harpsichord cadenza with high-quality headphones. Focus on the way the rhythm accelerates. Notice how the tension builds until the entire orchestra crashes back in for the final few seconds. That "release" of tension is one of the most satisfying moments in the history of Western music. Use a score-following video on YouTube if you want to see exactly how Bach mapped out the madness.