I was just looking at Vivaldi’s “Summer” and noticed these numbers/accidentals markings above the cello line. What are these?
Is there a certain tool for them if I was to input them in Dorico or would it be done just with a text box?
Figured bass. Dorico has a specific tool to enter them.
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Extra info (cellist here): figured bass indicates chords and improvised extra voices in baroque/early classical music that an accompanying keyboard player would play with their right hand. In most cases, nothing a cello player would need to know. If you need just the plain cello part, you can easily leave them out.
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Hi @sunny16
I would add this: as you see in the music, the staff is named B.c. : this means Basso Continuo (literally Continuous Bass).
Here a wider explanation:
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Thanks everyone! All very helpful!
The “in most cases” is very true. Some continuo cellists love seeing the numbers as it helps them prepares those harmonic crunches. Also, there is a very interesting paper written by Dr. Nathan Whittaker about chordal cello continuo accompaniment here:
Regardless, one of the great things about Dorico is that the Figured Bass is a Layout Option (Players->Figured Bass) and you can have parts with and parts without. It’s a real advantage!
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As a continuo cellist, I very much like to see the figured bass, but for the average ‘modern’ player, it’s pointless to add it.
Edit: @claude_g_lapalme thanks for this interesting link!
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While researching on Dotzauer (Romantic cellist), I found he dedicated an entire chapter of his method (1826) to the accompaniment of the recitativo.
There, he specifies how the highest art of a cellist is that of knowing the harmony during accompaniment, in order to give the singer the best support possible.
As a cellist myself, I find the numbers a valuable addition that would dramatically change the way I would play the text.
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We hire Nathan at Rosa Barocca as a guest principal from time to time, especially when we need a larger group. My wife loves playing with him. The first time was in 2018 for a performance of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast. We were hired by Luminous Voices in Calgary, so I wasn’t the conductor. However, I went to rehearsals and had this conversation with him after one of them:
- Me: “I saw you arpeggiating final chords in some of the recits. It’s very rarely done, but sounds very cool.”
- Nathan: “Thanks! I enjoy doing that when appropriate.”
- Me: “I read a very interesting paper on this a few years ago. I can’t remember the title of it but it historically extended the technique through 1850 if I remember correctly.”
- Nathan: “Really! That’s quite fascinating, and I think I know about that paper.”
- Me: “I thought you might after hearing you doing this.”
- Nathan: “Do you know who wrote it?”
- Me: “Unfortunately, I rarely remember that detail after reading papers.”
- Nathan: “I know who wrote it!”
- Me: “Do tell …”
- Nathan: “It was ME!!! It was my doctoral thesis!”
- Me: “You’re kidding!!!”
- Nathan: “No I’m not! Do you want a signed copy? You’ve made my day!!”
Moral of the story: reading musicological papers makes you new friends!
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Thank you all for your responses!
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