Mon Prof Augmenté
The Cello and the Orchestra Take Turns
Age 18 · Music
In an 18th-century solo concerto, the orchestra plays a recurring refrain and the soloist answers with passages of their own. C. P. E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, Wq 172, sets one cello against a small string ensemble and harpsichord in this back-and-forth.
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In the picture
- The cellist’s bow on the string: the solo episode, where the single instrument carries the melody
- The raised lid of the harpsichord: the continuo, the keyboard and bass that underpin the ensemble
- The body of a violin: the orchestral violins that play the recurring refrain
- The strings of the viola: the inner voices that fill the harmony
- The strings of the double bass: the lowest line of the orchestral refrain
Examples
- A rock song where the band plays the same chorus each time and the guitarist fills the gaps with a solo.
- A conversation where one speaker keeps returning to the same point and the other replies with something new.
Key takeaways
- The orchestra’s recurring refrain is called the ritornello; the passages the soloist plays in between are the episodes.
- C. P. E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, Wq 172, is an 18th-century solo concerto: one cello against a small orchestra.
Quiz: The Cello and the Orchestra Take Turns (Age 18)
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In an 18th-century solo concerto, what is the orchestra’s recurring refrain called?
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What are the soloist’s passages between the orchestral ritornellos called?
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In C. P. E. Bach’s Cello Concerto in A major, Wq 172, what does the card say the cello is set against?
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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