The Baroque Harpsichord Concerto
Harpsichord concertos were written throughout the Baroque era, notably by Johann Sebastian Bach: see harpsichord concertos (J. S. Bach).
The harpsichord was a very common instrument, but it was never as popular as string or wind instruments in the concerto role, probably due to its relative lack of volume when in an orchestra. In this context, harpsichords were more usually employed as a continuo instrument, playing a harmonised bass part in nearly all orchestral music, the player often also directing the orchestra.
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major, BWV 1050, may be the first work in which the harpsichord appeared as a concerto soloist. In this piece, its usual continuo role is alternated with prominent solo obbligato episodes in all three movements. In the first movement the harpsichord, after rapid scales up and down the length of its range, embarks on a solo cadenza which lasts for 3–4 minutes, while the orchestra is silent.
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