The musical form known as a Ground bass, or more simply
a Ground, is also referred to as a basso ostinato. The
term ostinato is in reference to the "obstinate"
character of the musical device wherein a bass line or
harmonic pattern is repeated throughout the entire
piece of music, leaving the melody to be developed
through many variations. The most famous example of a
Ground is surely the German composer Johann Pachelbel's
Canon in D. This Ground by the English baroque
composer, Henry Purcell, w...(+)
The musical form known as a Ground bass, or more simply
a Ground, is also referred to as a basso ostinato. The
term ostinato is in reference to the "obstinate"
character of the musical device wherein a bass line or
harmonic pattern is repeated throughout the entire
piece of music, leaving the melody to be developed
through many variations. The most famous example of a
Ground is surely the German composer Johann Pachelbel's
Canon in D. This Ground by the English baroque
composer, Henry Purcell, was originally written for
keyboard instruments like the harpsichord. There is
liberal use of arpeggios in both the left and right
hands, which strictly follow the underlying harmonic
series. All of the sections employ the same 8 bar
format, with 6 bars of arpeggios, followed by 2 bars of
a concluding cadence.
Lewis, Alastair (1974 - )
SHEET MUSIC