The Brandenburg Concertos had their origins as individual pieces, in times prior to their compilation in the collection of six that Bach dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721.

In particular, Concerto No. 6 dates from the period that Bach spent in the service of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, who was an avid amateur musician and player of the viola da gamba. Leopold developed a friendly relationship with Bach, and was even godfather to one of his sons, Leopold Augustus, who died in infancy.

Bach himself was a very good violin and viola player, and he had a special predilection for the latter given his usual role in the orchestra of taking the middle voices to fill out the harmonies.

One possible theory to explain the peculiar instrumentation of Brandenburg No. 6 (two concertante violas, accompanied by two violas da gamba, a cello, a violone or double bass and a harpsichord) is that Bach wanted to write a piece that prioritized the viola and allowed him to play music together with the prince.

The first movement of the concerto begins with an agile and tight “canon” between the two violas, accompanied with harmony in eighth notes by the rest of the group. After this introduction, the thematic material begins to be distributed among the different participants, first the cello, and then the violas and violas da gamba alternately.

The central movement lets the violas da gamba rest, essentially setting up a trio-sonata between the two violas, with the continuo enriched by the cello, which ornaments the violone line.

The concerto closes with a rhythmic Allegro in the form of a jig, with the violas da gamba returning and the cello participating with the violas in some of the sixteenth-note passages.