Music Banter - View Single Post - A Concise History of the Symphony Orchestra

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 02-21-2014, 11:50 AM

By the end of the 17th century, the orchestra had a hole in it. The highest and lowest parts of the orchestra were given emphasis but the middle part was indeterminate. The strings could have been used to fill this hole but they simply were not. This was a problem that had been noted by the end of the 16th century. After the motet introduced the idea of harmony and polyphony with striking contrasts, this idea remained even as the orchestra expanded but, at a certain point, this was outliving its usefulness. Now, the orchestra had a hole in it.

And so arose the continuo or basso continuo as it was variously called. A continuous bass line was supplied upon which chords were vertically stacked to act something akin to pillars that support the main melody. The minor melodies—that interplay in which the various instruments moved over and against one another—lost emphasis as they were too distracting. They became instead a single “block of harmony.”

To form the continuo, a minimum of two instruments were needed: a bass instrument such a double bass, cello or bassoon accompanied by an instrument capable of playing chords such as a harpsichord, lute or organ. This core supports the melody, all the other instruments now play in blocks of harmonies. It was a fundamental progression in the evolution of the symphony orchestra.

In the clip below, we see how Monteverdi uses the continuo in his opera L’Orfeo. Notice the bass instruments, namely the theorbos or chitarrones (bass lutes). You can hear the harpsichord which supplies the melodic base for the vocals. The other instruments play in blocks of harmonies.

Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Savall - YouTube

The continuo became the orchestra’s backbone. Eventually, the continuo resolved itself into a trio of harpsichord, cello and double bass. All three read from the harpsichordist’s sheet music. The bassist and cellist had to peer over harpsichordist’s shoulder. The continuo played the recitativo secco or that which is accompanied by a few plain chords. At times, a few of the other musicians—the finer instrumentalists—and some of the vocalists might assemble around this trio to constitute what is known as the concertino or small choir. The rest of the musicians in the orchestra would join in to support the concertino. They were called the concerto grosso or great choir. The great choir might also contain double basses and cellos but they simply weren’t part of the continuo. The great choir’s job was to play chords in unified “blocks.” We call this tutti which means to play all at once as opposed to soloing.

With the orchestra now ready to provide music on a grand scale, that is exactly what happened—music on a grand scale. Next, we shall examine the Pièces à Grand Orchestre and the important changes they brought.

02-21-2014, 11:50 AM	#18 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	By the end of the 17th century, the orchestra had a hole in it. The highest and lowest parts of the orchestra were given emphasis but the middle part was indeterminate. The strings could have been used to fill this hole but they simply were not. This was a problem that had been noted by the end of the 16th century. After the motet introduced the idea of harmony and polyphony with striking contrasts, this idea remained even as the orchestra expanded but, at a certain point, this was outliving its usefulness. Now, the orchestra had a hole in it. And so arose the continuo or basso continuo as it was variously called. A continuous bass line was supplied upon which chords were vertically stacked to act something akin to pillars that support the main melody. The minor melodies—that interplay in which the various instruments moved over and against one another—lost emphasis as they were too distracting. They became instead a single “block of harmony.” To form the continuo, a minimum of two instruments were needed: a bass instrument such a double bass, cello or bassoon accompanied by an instrument capable of playing chords such as a harpsichord, lute or organ. This core supports the melody, all the other instruments now play in blocks of harmonies. It was a fundamental progression in the evolution of the symphony orchestra. In the clip below, we see how Monteverdi uses the continuo in his opera L’Orfeo. Notice the bass instruments, namely the theorbos or chitarrones (bass lutes). You can hear the harpsichord which supplies the melodic base for the vocals. The other instruments play in blocks of harmonies. Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Savall - YouTube The continuo became the orchestra’s backbone. Eventually, the continuo resolved itself into a trio of harpsichord, cello and double bass. All three read from the harpsichordist’s sheet music. The bassist and cellist had to peer over harpsichordist’s shoulder. The continuo played the recitativo secco or that which is accompanied by a few plain chords. At times, a few of the other musicians—the finer instrumentalists—and some of the vocalists might assemble around this trio to constitute what is known as the concertino or small choir. The rest of the musicians in the orchestra would join in to support the concertino. They were called the concerto grosso or great choir. The great choir might also contain double basses and cellos but they simply weren’t part of the continuo. The great choir’s job was to play chords in unified “blocks.” We call this tutti which means to play all at once as opposed to soloing. With the orchestra now ready to provide music on a grand scale, that is exactly what happened—music on a grand scale. Next, we shall examine the Pièces à Grand Orchestre and the important changes they brought. Last edited by Lord Larehip; 02-21-2014 at 08:35 PM.