[Listening extract, audio available. See printed QP for questions.] In a Baroque trio sonata, two violins play decorated melodies while a harpsichord and ce...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract, audio available. See printed QP for questions.]
In a Baroque trio sonata, two violins play decorated melodies while a harpsichord and cello provide the bass line.
Which two instruments provide the basso continuo? [1]
[Total: 1 mark]
Answer Details
The two instruments that provide the basso continuo are the harpsichord and the cello. [1]
In Baroque music, the basso continuo (or continuo) is the accompaniment foundation that underpins the ensemble. It consists of two elements working together: a bass-line instrument (here the cello) that plays the written bass notes, and a chordal instrument (here the harpsichord) that realises (fills in) the harmonies above the bass line, often from a figured bass notation. In a trio sonata, the name "trio" refers to three musical lines: the two upper melodic parts (played by the two violins) and the bass line. However, the continuo section itself typically requires two players (one for the bass melody, one for the chords), so a Baroque trio sonata actually involves four performers despite having only three independent musical lines.
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