The Brandenburg Concertos
One of music’s great riddles, Bach’s groundbreaking set of concertos puts the collective virtuosity of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in the spotlight.
Revel in the complete set of ‘Six Concertos for several instruments’ in all its ‘imperfections’ and ‘daring combinations’!
The history of the Brandenburg Concertos reads like the script for classic adventure caper: we don’t know why Bach gifted them as a set to the Margrave of Brandenburg or exactly what he did with them.
They were then ‘lost’ in the library of a princess for around a century, before being rediscovered and published in 1850, and the manuscript was nearly lost forever during World War One when the train carrying it to Berlin was blown up…
Then there are the riddles in the music itself. Why Bach chose the unprecedented combinations of instruments, who he envisaged playing this music of endless inventiveness which demands a supergroup ensemble of virtuosos, or if he intended them to be performed as a collected set at all.
It all calls for a team of musical sleuths who can put the clues together to unmask the real Brandenburg Concertos.
Performers
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Repertoire
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F; Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G; Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D
Interval
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 in G; Brandenburg Concerto No.6 in B flat; Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F
Need to know
Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer at 6pm: pre-concert talk with Nicholas Kenyon, Steven Devine and Margaret Faultless. Admission free.
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.