The Art of the Ostinato
An ostinato is a musical motif or phrase that is persistently repeated. Here are three pieces from the Baroque period that are constructed around a repeating bass line known as a basso ostinato, or ground bass. In each case, the bass line provides the framework for a set of increasingly complex and thrilling variations. It’s as if the composer is saying, “Listen to how clever and inventive I can be!” Canon in D…Johann …