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A Solo Cello Against the Orchestra
Age 17 · Music
In an 18th-century solo concerto, a single virtuoso instrument trades musical ideas with a full ensemble, sometimes taking the lead and sometimes letting the orchestra answer. C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, written in Berlin in 1753, has the cello alternating its brilliant solo passages with the orchestra’s recurring refrain, called the ritornello.
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In the picture
- Solo cello: the virtuoso voice that plays the showy solo episodes
- Violins and viola: the tutti strings that bring back the ritornello refrain
- Harpsichord: the basso continuo filling in the harmony underneath
- Double bass: doubling the bass line to give the ensemble its foundation
Examples
- A jazz saxophonist improvises a solo while the band keeps the groove, then the whole band comes back in with the main tune
- At a concert, a lead singer sings a verse alone and the band and backing singers return together for the chorus
Key takeaways
- In ritornello form, a returning orchestral refrain alternates with solo episodes
- C.P.E. Bach wrote his A major Cello Concerto (Wq. 172) in 1753, as music was moving from the Baroque towards the Classical style
Quiz: A Solo Cello Against the Orchestra (Age 17)
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In ritornello form, what alternates with the soloist’s episodes?
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In C.P.E. Bach’s A major Cello Concerto, what job does the harpsichord do?
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C.P.E. Bach wrote his A major Cello Concerto in 1753. What was happening in music at that time?
The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.
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