Brandenburg No.2: Allegro Moderato by Bach arr. Brian Slawson

Widely regarded as some of the finest musical works of the Baroque era, the Brandenburg Concertos were composed around the time of Bach’s tenure as Kapellmeister at Köthen (1708–1717). Although the instrument combinations vary from work to work, each three-movement concerto features a small ensemble of solo players accompanied by a larger section of players who assume no solo functions. In the case of Brandenburg No. 2, solos are played by a trumpet, violin, flute and oboe while backed by strings and continuo.
 
Adapting tunes for performance in a variety of instrumental settings was a common practice in the Baroque period, and today Bach’s music continues to thrive in nearly every setting the modern era can muster. There could hardly be a better vehicle than a percussion ensemble to showcase some of the most rhythmic music ever written. In this arrangement, Brian Slawson enables percussion ensembles to recreate Bach’s masterpiece through creative mallet orchestrations.