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Full-Text Articles in Music Practice
On Divided Lines: Instrumentation For Bass Parts In Corelli-Era Sonatas, Peter Walls
On Divided Lines: Instrumentation For Bass Parts In Corelli-Era Sonatas, Peter Walls
Performance Practice Review
There has been considerable debate in recent years about the appropriate treatment of bass lines in Corelli Op. 5 and other duo and ensemble sonatas of the era. This article examines the relationship between continuo parts and separate bass parts in publications that include both. It argues that the case for accepting publication formats as a guide to performance practice is weaker than has often been claimed. The inadequacy of the standard terminology (particularly ‘trio sonata’) for Italian chamber-music ensembles in this period has been much commented on. Italian practice in the 17th century was to designate pieces a 2, …
The Trio Sonata In Pre-Corellian Prints: When Does 3 = 4?, Sandra Mangsen
The Trio Sonata In Pre-Corellian Prints: When Does 3 = 4?, Sandra Mangsen
Performance Practice Review
Printed sources of pre-Corellian trios include several distinct scorings, one of which requires four performers (SSBbc). Particular scorings correlate with musical style and function. Melodic bass and chordal continuo were employed in the church sonata; one or the other in the dance repertoire. Moreover, the stronger the contrapuntal role of the bass part, the more likely it was to be played on a melodic instrument. After 1660, sacred and secular scoring practices became less distinct. Increasingly active dance bass lines were more often figured, while chordal and melodic bass parts of church sonatas became nearly identical.