Basso ostinato
The basso ostinato is a variety of the musical instrument ostinato , which has achieved the comparatively greatest spread and popularity . The basso ostinato emerged towards the end of the 16th century with the advent of baroque music and was a compositional tool that was often used.
While ostinato in itself means some recurring musical element, the basso ostinato is of greater importance, especially during the baroque period. In the baroque era , also known as the thoroughbass age , the bass becomes the fundamental voice of music, in which the basic harmonic structure is manifested. Similar to today's chord names , which for example show an accompanying guitarist or pianist the harmonic progression of a piece, this function was taken over by the figured bass part. In the end, the entire musical plot was based on the bass.
The course of the bass part, which is strictly regulated by the basso ostinato, creates a foundation on which the upper parts are able to move with even greater freedom. Compositions based on a basso ostinato are often very close to musical variations .
Examples
- Claudio Monteverdi , Madrigal Zefiro torna
- Johann Sebastian Bach , Crucifixus from the B minor Mass
- Johann Pachelbel , Canon in D
- Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber , Sonata No. 7 from 12 sonatas for trumpets, violins, timpani and basso continuo ("Sonatae tam aris, quam aulis servientes")
- Henry Purcell , Chaconne in g
- Johannes Brahms , Finale of the Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Web links
- Alexander Kluge : "All things are enchanted people" , Frankfurter Rundschau, January 15, 2015 (via Kraftwerk )