Basso continuo

Editing and production by Michael Sullivan.

Our theme is Handel's Entrance of the Queen of Sheba for Two Obos, Strings, and Continuo Allegro, as performed by the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

Crystal Howe speaking.

our first composer, Johann Gottlieb Graun, G-R-A-U-N.

This is his concerto for viola, strings, and basso continuo in E-flat major, Graun WV.

How do I read this? C-V colon 13, that's Roman number 13, colon 116.

Man.

All right.

I want to also say something about the way the work is listed.

Concerto for Viola, Strings, and Basso Continuo in E-flat Major.

Now, I think we should list this title as Concerto in E-flat Major for Viola, Strings, and Basso Continuo because it sounds like...

So we need to reduce the amount of people playing.

Same thing as with Continuo.

So yes, of course you study your score at home, but with some music where the orchestration is very, if you look at this, Rameau, the orchestration is fixed, because the orchestration is part of the composition.

French music basically always works like this, although there are some question marks, about size for example.

Mm-hmm.

In a poem titled Continuo, you play, I think, with a line from the Gospels, from the Gospel of Matthew, and you say two languages, which will be taken and which will be left.

And I think you took English for your writing, at least.

But I wonder if when you first went to Italy and you were a student, were you ever tempted to use Italian for your writing or in a more creative way?

Editing and production by Michael Sullivan.

Our theme is Handel's Entrance of the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo Allegro as performed by the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

Crystal Howe speaking.

Editing and production by Michael Sullivan.

Our theme is Handel's Entrance of the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo Allegro, as performed by the Advent Chamber Orchestra.

Crystal Howe speaking.