Waterford Concert Series Musical Overviews
The Art of Continuo: From Bach to the Beatles

When Marcel Proust described the music of Bach as “a divine sewing machine,” he was referring to basso continuo, a musical form in which the harmonic base line is repeated over and over while the melody and variations are performed above it. As our next concert (on Bach’s birthday) features a Bach sonata for flute and continuo, it is a good time to consider the origin and use of this distinctive musical device. 

The term itself describes a form of ostinato, which is the “mother” word for forms which also include the pasacaglia and the chaconne. The literal meaning for ostinato is “stubborn” as in “refusal to give up,” indicating a relentless, repetitive pattern defining the underlying harmonic structure and rhythm for the music. A charming example can be heard in this video in which the continuo part is played by the harpsichord: 

The use of continuo was most widespread during the baroque period (circa 1600-1750). The composers seldom specified which instrument or instruments were to perform it, though at least one instrument capable of playing chords, such as the organ, harp, guitar or harpsichord, had to be included while other instruments in the bass register, such as the double bass, bass viol, viola da gamba and bassoon, were also frequently used in orchestral music. A favorite instrument for continuo performance was the theorbo, a very large type of lute which produced a powerful sound. 

Theorbo 

Although baroque composers provided the musical notation for the continuo, performers were expected to use it only as a guide. They were expected to use judgment and imagination to enhance their parts with invention and embellishment. Modern editions of the music provide full notation for the player, eliminating the need for improvisation, though the increasing popularity of historically informed performances on period instruments has also tended to bring back the use of innovation. 

A good example of a chaconne by Purcell played in this manner can be heard here.

 The use of continuo went out of fashion during the classical period. Oddly enough it returned to a full flowering in the modern period with jazz, rock music and boogie-woogie. No longer known as continuo or ostinato, it survives as “riff.” Riff is ostinato. It is a repeated chord progression, refrain, melody or pattern, played by the rhythm section or a solo instrument which forms the basic accompaniment of a musical composition. An excellent example is Day Tripper by the Beatles and Billy Joel’s Piano Man where the left hand plays the ostinato. 

We have come a long way from Bach, but we are once more being hypnotized by that pulsating, relentless beat. Could it be that we are hearing the echoes of our own beating hearts?