Harpsichord

Partimenti was a pedagogical method that was prevalent in 18th-century Neopolitan music conservatories, used to teach students how to improvise melodic and contrapuntal lines over given bass lines at the keyboard (in this case, a harpsichord).  This gave students important insight into harmony, voice-leading, and composition in the galant style.  This particular bass line is excerpted from an exercise by Francesco Durante, who was headmaster at one of these Neopolitan conservatories.  First Durante's bass line is introduced alone, then a melodic line is created above it.  Recorded on an iPhone SE.

The dense, virtuosic harpsichord part has several quickly repeated phrases that are reminiscent of the Scarlatti solo keyboard sonatas. This passage has a wide variety of rhythmic phrasing techniques over slow-moving, basic harmony. By altering the rhythmic phrasing, composers were able to add interest and a sense of articulation to music that featured the harpsichord, an instrument incapable of expressing different dynamics. In addition, a variety of rhythmic phrases added intrigue to the simple melodies of the classical period.

Harmonic sequencing typical in Galant music. A harmonic sequence is a passage that repeats itself in different tonal centers. This particular example begins with the common descending harmonic sequence in fourths. The flowing harpsichord line on top of a simple counterline creates a sense of complexity.

This ritornello, a recurring passage between solo sections frequently occurring in the eighteenth-century concerti, exemplifies the influence of the Baroque style on the Galant composer Jan Zach.