Continuo Definition

Continuo Sentence Examples

• The chords necessary in this part, which with its supporting bass is called the continuo, were indicated by figures; and the evanescent and delicate tones of the harpsichord; lent themselves admirably to this purpose where solo voices and instruments were concerned.

• It is in the attempt to supply the place of this continuo (or _ figured bass) by definite orchestral parts that modern per formances, until the most recent times, have shown so radical an incapacity to grasp the nature of 18th-century instrumentation.

• To write an account of symphonic instrumentation in any detail would be like attempting a history of emotional expression; and all that we can do here is to point out that the problem which was, so to speak, shelved by the polyphonic device of the continuo, was for a long time solved only by methods which, in any hands but those of the greatest masters, were very inartistic conventions.

• These motets are usually in the vernacular and usually expect only continuo accompaniment, tho some do have optional instrumental doubling parts.

• They can be played either by violin alone or with the basso continuo accompaniment which is reproduced at the bottom of every page.