Classical music Ostinato

1 classical music

1.1 medieval
1.2 ground bass: late renaissance , baroque
1.3 late eighteenth , nineteenth centuries
1.4 twentieth century

classical music

ostinato used in 20th-century music stabilize groups of pitches, in stravinsky s rite of spring introduction , augurs of spring. famous type of ostinato, called rossini crescendo, owes name crescendo underlies persistent musical pattern, culminates in solo vocal cadenza. style emulated other bel canto composers, vincenzo bellini; , later wagner (in pure instrumental terms, discarding closing vocal cadenza).

applicable in homophonic , contrapuntal textures repetitive rhythmic-harmonic schemes , more familiar accompanimental melodies, or purely rhythmic. technique s appeal composers debussy avant-garde composers until @ least 1970s ... lies in part in need unity created virtual abandonment of functional chord progressions shape phrases , define tonality . similarly, in modal music, ... relentless, repetitive character establish , confirm modal center . popularity may justified ease range of use, though, ... ostinato must employed judiciously, overuse can lead monotony .

medieval

ostinato patterns have been present in european music middle ages onwards. in famous english canon sumer icumen in , main vocal lines underpinned ostinato pattern, known pes:

sumer icumen in

later in medieval era, dufay’s 15th century chanson resvelons nous features constructed ostinato pattern, time 5 bars long. on this, main melodic line moves freely, varying phrase-lengths, while being “to extent predetermined repeating pattern of canon in lower 2 voices.”

dufay resvelons nous



dufay resvelons nous



ground bass: late renaissance , baroque

ground bass or basso ostinato (obstinate bass) type of variation form in bass line, or harmonic pattern (see chaconne; common in elizabethan england grounde) repeated basis of piece underneath variations. aaron copland describes basso ostinato ... easiest recognize of variation forms wherein, ... long phrase—either accompanimental figure or actual melody—is repeated on , on again in bass part, while upper parts proceed [with variation] . however, cautions, might more termed musical device musical form.

one striking ostinato instrumental piece of late renaissance period “the bells”, piece virginals william byrd. here ostinato (or ‘ground’) consists of 2 notes:

william byrd, bells



william byrd, bells

in italy, during seventeenth century, claudio monteverdi composed many pieces using ostinato patterns in operas , sacred works. 1 of these 1650 version of “laetatus sum”, imposing setting of psalm 122 pits 4 note “ostinato of unquenchable energy.” against both voices , instruments:

monteverdi laetatus sum (1650) ground bass

later in same century, henry purcell became famous skilful deployment of ground bass patterns. famous ostinato descending chromatic ground bass underpins lament @ end of opera dido , aeneas:

purcell, dido s lament ground bass



purcell, dido s lament ground bass

while use of descending chromatic scale express pathos common @ end of seventeenth century, richard taruskin points out purcell shows fresh approach musical trope: “altogether unconventional , characteristic, however, interpolation of additional cadential measure stereotyped ground, increasing length routine 4 haunting 5 bars, against vocal line, despondent refrain (‘remember me!’), deployed marked asymmetry. that, plus purcell’s distinctively dissonant, suspension-saturated harmony, enhanced additional chromatic descents during final ritornello , many deceptive cadences, makes little aria unforgettably poignant embodiment of heartache.” see also: lament bass. however, not ostinato pattern purcell uses in opera. dido’s opening aria “ah, belinda” further demonstration of purcell’s technical mastery: phrases of vocal line not coincide 4-bar ground:

dido s opening aria ah! belinda

“purcell’s compositions on ground vary in working out, , repetition never becomes restriction.” purcell’s instrumental music featured ground patterns. particularly fine , complex example fantasia upon ground 3 violins , continuo:

purcell fantasia in 3 parts ground

the intervals in above pattern found in many works of baroque period. pachelbel s canon uses similar sequence of notes in bass part:

pachelbel s canon



ground bass of pachelbel s canon

two pieces j.s.bach particularly striking use of ostinato bass: crucifixus mass in b minor , passacaglia in c minor organ, has ground rich in melodic intervals:

bach c minor passacaglia ground bass



bach c minor passacaglia ground bass

the first variation bach builds on ostinato consists of gently syncopated motif in upper voices:

bach c minor passacaglia variation 1



bach c minor passacaglia variation 1

this characteristic rhythmic pattern continues in second variation, engaging harmonic subtleties, in second bar, unexpected chord creates passing implication of related key:

bach c minor passacaglia variation 2



bach c minor passacaglia variation 2

in common other passacaglias of era, ostinato not confined bass, rises uppermost part later in piece:

bach c minor passacaglia variation ostinato in treble



bach c minor passacaglia ostinato in treble

a performance of entire piece can heard here.

late eighteenth , nineteenth centuries

ostinatos feature in many works of late 18th , 19th centuries. mozart uses ostinato phrase throughout big scene ends act 2 of marriage of figaro, convey sense of suspense jealous count almaviva tries in vain incriminate countess, wife, , figaro, butler, plotting behind back. famous type of ostinato, called rossini crescendo, owes name crescendo underlies persistent musical pattern, culminates in solo vocal cadenza.

in energetic scherzo of beethoven’s late c sharp minor quartet, op. 131, there harmonically static passage, “the repetitiveness of nursery rhyme” consists of ostinato shared between viola , cello supporting melody in octaves in first , second violins:

beethoven op 131 trio scherzo, bars 69–76



beethoven op 131 trio scherzo, bars 69–76

beethoven reverses relationship few bars later melody in viola , cello , ostinato shared between violins:

beethoven op 131 trio scherzo, bars 93–100



beethoven op 131 trio scherzo, bars 93–100

both first , third acts of wagner’s final opera parsifal feature passage accompanying scene band of knights solemnly processes depths of forest hall of grail. “transformation music” supports change of scene dominated iterated tolling of 4 bells:

wagner, parsifal act 1, transformation music

brahms used ostinato patterns in both finale of fourth symphony , in closing section of variations on theme haydn:

brahms variations on theme haydn, final section ground bass



twentieth century

debussy featured ostinato pattern throughout piano prelude “des pas sur la neige”. here, ostinato pattern stays in middle register of piano – never used bass. “remark footfall ostinato remains throughout on same notes, @ same pitch level... piece appeal basic loneliness of human beings, oft-forgotten perhaps, but, ostinato, forming basic undercurrent of our history.”

debussy, des pas sur la neige

of major classical composers of twentieth century, stravinsky possibly 1 associated practice of ostinato. in conversation composer, friend , colleague robert craft remarked “your music has element of repetition, of ostinato. function of ostinato?” stravinsky replied; “it static – is, anti-development; , need contradiction development.” stravinsky particularly skilled @ using ostinatos confound rather confirm rhythmic expectations. in first of 3 pieces string quartet, stravinsky sets 3 repeated patterns, overlap 1 , never coincide. here rigid pattern of (3+2+2/4) bars laid on strictly recurring twenty-three-beat tune (the bars being marked cello ostinato), changing relationship governed pre-compositional scheme. “the rhythmical current running through music binds these curious mosaic-like pieces.” subtler metrical conflict can found in final section of stravinsky’s symphony of psalms. choir sing melody in triple time, while bass instruments in orchestra play 4-beat ostinato against this. “this built on ostinato bass (harp, 2 pianos , timpani) moving in fourths pendulum.