Basso Continuo
The Baroque rhythm section — a bass line plus an improvised chordal layer
Related
Basso continuo is the improvised accompaniment layer of the Baroque, shared by a bass instrument and a chordal instrument: the first plays the bass line, the second (harpsichord, organ, lute) fills in chords from the figures.
It is a group rather than a single part. The score usually carries only a bass line and figures; the sound depends on numbers, instruments and the player's realisation. It was standard in concertos, cantatas and opera from about 1600 to 1750, then gave way to written-out accompaniment.
Equating continuo with the harpsichord narrows it too far. Cello, bassoon and bass lute may join, and figured bass is only its notation, not a synonym for the practice.
Sources
- 通奏低音的编制与历史用法，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Continuo"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.