Who invented basso continuo

Basso sequente The composer Lodovico Viadana is often credited with the first publication of such a continuo, in a 1602 collection of motets that according to his own account had been originally written in 1594.

1. Who created basso continuo?
2. Where did basso continuo come from?
3. What made up the basso continuo?
4. What language is basso continuo?

Who created 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”).

Where did basso continuo come from?

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.

What made up the basso continuo?

Basso continuo was the harmony of the music. Generally, an instrument that was capable of playing chords played the basso continuo, such as a harpsichord, organ, or harp. Bass instruments, such as a cello or bassoon, might also be included.

What language is 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. Basso Continuo literally means 'continuous bass', or to use the old English version, 'through bass'. And that, in essence, is what it is.