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Baroque · concerto movement

Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: II. Andante

Johann Sebastian Bach · Level 7, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: II. Andante is a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 7, an estimate.

On this page
  • concerto movement
  • Baroque
  • Key of D minor
  • gentle

Also known as Italian Concerto, BWV 971: Andante.

History

Bach published the Italian Concerto in 1735 with the French Overture in the second part of Clavier-Übung. This is its middle Andante movement, one part of a three-movement keyboard work that evokes the contrast of concerto solo and tutti without an orchestra.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Regular lower layers introduce the movement

    Two lower patterns continue during the upper rests. Hear their separate movement before the solo melody enters.

  2. Long upper phrases expand through decoration

    Held notes develop into linked ornaments and runs above changing support. Follow the singing line through its small detail.

  3. Dense ornaments meet independent lower patterns

    The extended decorated span continues over regular lower motion. Keep both layers present within the fuller texture.

  4. A descending response reaches short D punctuation

    The upper cadence descends toward final D support and rests. Hear the shorter release after the long decorated phrase.

How to practise it

Long melody wait and decorated entry; spaced lower eighths.

  1. Count the introduction, then practise the decorated melody entrance on its own.
  2. Preserve the two lower rests rather than treating the opening as continuous accompaniment.

How hard is it

Level 7, estimated

An ornamented singing line above steady support demands expressive pacing, melodic continuity and subtle balance.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Johann Sebastian Bach, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Italian Concerto, BWV 971: Andante” by J. S. Bach (1685 to 1750). Mutopia edition maintained by Boris Dušek and Jay Anderson. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=1826. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. The supplied source ZIP was unpacked into this individual MIDI without editing note data; disclose any later conversion or edits separately.

More by Johann Sebastian Bach

  1. Prelude in C major, BWV 846Level 4, estimatedOpen to everyone
  2. Two-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: III. PrestoLevel 9, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Long melody wait and decorated entry; spaced lower eighths.

Practise it in PlayPiano