<P> Ripieno: violin, viola, cello, violone, (harpsichord) </P> <P> Duration: about 23 minutes </P> <P> The harpsichord is both a concertino and a ripieno instrument: in the concertino passages the part is obbligato; in the ripieno passages it has a figured bass part and plays continuo . </P> <P> This concerto makes use of a popular chamber music ensemble of the time (flute, violin, and harpsichord), which Bach used on its own for the middle movement . It is believed that it was written in 1719, to show off a new harpsichord by Michael Mietke which Bach had brought back from Berlin for the Köthen court . It is also thought that Bach wrote it for a competition at Dresden with the French composer and organist Louis Marchand; in the central movement, Bach uses one of Marchand's themes . Marchand fled before the competition could take place, apparently scared off in the face of Bach's great reputation for virtuosity and improvisation . </P>

Bach's brandenburg concerto is an example of