Analysis: Bach Suite No. 3 in D major
The instruments used in the piece are: * Trumpet 1 * Trumpet 2 * Trumpet 3 * Timpani * Oboe 1 * Oboe 2 * Violin 1 * Violin 2 * Viola * Continuo – Harpsichord or Double Bass
Why this piece is typically baroque
This is piece is baroque as it includes many of the baroque characteristics: * Perfect Cadence!! – In the concept Pitch, the perfect cadence is very obvious at the end of the sections and phrases – change from the dominant to the tonic. * Duration – the rhythmic pattern heard at the start of each gavotte, is reiterated many times throughout the piece. This also links to Pitch – the opening melody of the piece is heard many times throughout …show more content…

The range of the section is wide, reaching over an octave for most instruments. However, the timpani still moves from the dominant to the tonic – uses on D and A. The register of the section is still medium to high as most notes of all instruments are in the higher section of the range, especially the bass continuo.
Again, the melody is played by the violins. The contour of the melody in the first section of A1 – bars 12-17 is very jagged, making big leaps. Bars 18 and 19, the melody goes down by steps becoming smooth (musical excerpt). Bars 20 – 22 and 25-26, the melody becomes angular again. And bars 22-24 and 26-28, the melody is smooth, moving in steps of 2nds or 3rds. The angular and jagged melody bars, are the bars where the motif from Section A is repeated.
The perfect cadence is again frequently used in Section A1. In bar 19-20 the perfect cadence – F# to B (dominant to tonic) is used to end the key change of B minor changing to G major. And in bar 26-27, the perfect cadence – A to D, finishes the section and the first Gavotte. Ornamentation- trills – are used again in bar 16 and 23 in similar fashion to Section A.
Duration – The note lengths in Section A1 are very similar to section A. They are short – mostly quavers and crotchets. This reflects the tempo of the piece – being allegro. This tempo remains through the whole Gavotte. The repeated motif is also