Topmusicanswers
Basso continuo emerged in the seventeenth century as a shorthand notation for keyboardists (typically church organists) who were accompanying a soloist or small ensemble performing a work originally composed for a larger group. ... (This is the original meaning of the term accompany—to accompany a bass line with chords.
- Who started basso continuo?
- How was basso continuo performed?
- What is the point of basso continuo?
- What 2 instruments are required for a basso continuo?
Who started basso continuo?
The harmonic substance of multivoiced music was now literally contracted into an instrumentalist's two hands; the immediate repercussions for both sacred and secular music prompted Agostino Agazzari as early as 1607 to publish a manual of instructions, Del sonare sopra 'l basso (“On Playing upon the Thoroughbass”).
How was basso continuo performed?
Basso continuo is a form of musical accompaniment used in the Baroque period. It means "continuous bass". ... The composer normally just wrote the bass line which would be played by the left hand and doubled on the other bass instrument.
What is the point of basso continuo?
A basso continuo is, in 17th- and 18th- century music, the bass line and keyboard part that provide a harmonic framework for a piece of music.
What 2 instruments are required for a basso continuo?
A basso continuo typically consists of a cello (or double bass) and organ or harpsichord. The cello plays the bass line while the keyboard player improvises chords, derived from musical shorthand notation called figured bass .
