OBBLIGATO ob·bli·ga·to also ob·li·ga·to ( b l -gä t ) Music adj. Not to be left out; indispensable. Used of an accompaniment that is an integral part of a piece. [Italian, past participle of obbligare, to obligate, from Latin oblig re, to oblige;]
A significant portion of flute repertoire from the baroque era designates the accompaniment as obbligato not Basso Continuo (BC). The crucial difference was that the composer wrote the accompaniment fully (obbligato) where the accompanist (in the baroque era, most commonly a harpsichord or lute) would then be ‘obliged’ to play exactly what was written. This was in contrast to the more commonly used accompaniment of just the bass line (BC), which was then “figured” with the harmonies that were to be filled in as the accompanist saw fit. The importance of the bass line is often accentuated by the use of a cello or gamba to sustain the tone.
The difference is all-important. If we look at two flute sonatas of J.S.Bach, one obbligato B minor sonata (BWV 1030) and one basso continuo E minor sonata (BWV 1034) you can immediately see that in contrast to the E minor sonata, in the B minor sonata the dialogue between the flute and harpsichord or piano is instantly involving and intricate, the flute line having equal importance to the right and the left hand of the accompaniment. Barthold Kuijken remarks in his baroque flute CD recording (ACC22150) - “A sonata with obligato harpsichord is really a trio sonata in which the harpsichordist takes two voices for himself, with the right hand as one of the melody instruments and the left hand as the basso continuo”. The bass line loses its relative importance in the left hand as the two hands now have equal importance.
In the E minor BC sonata, the dialogue is now between the bass line and the flute. The added instrument sustaining the bass line would add weight and lyricism and the right hand would be improvised. When teaching, I often accompany a pupil on the flute and for the B minor sonata, I can play the right hand part of the harpsichord line to make a credible duet, but to accompany the E minor sonata I play the left hand line on the flute.
When playing these two sonatas on a modern flute, I therefore consider the role of the piano differently. For the E minor, the left hand should be more prominent, expressive and sustained and in the B minor sonata equal importance should be given to both hands.
When I am performing with ‘Continuum’ the role changes dramatically for the basso continuo team when they swap from a BC accompaniment to playing obbligato. As Michael Overbury (harpsichordist in ‘Continuum’) pointed out to me “Obbligato means psychologically I am front of stage with you. Whereas continuo harmonies need to be behind you and around you - essential and supportive, sometimes fulsomely so, sometimes minimally so - but never upstaging the solo instrumentalist”.
To aid the accompanist who will not be familiar with a figured bass line, modern editors have realised the figures, adding harmonies and sometimes supplying a melody for the right hand that produces an obbligato style part. The fact that only the left hand of this accompaniment is original is often overlooked. Worryingly, the figures themselves, supplied by the composer, are often removed, leaving little trace as to what was even harmonically intended. It becomes ever more important therefore to seek a good edition when performing BC baroque sonatas. The bass line figures should be evident for your benefit. I would suggest trying a number of different editions and asking your accompanist to experiment with the right hand to achieve an effect that works with your playing, the tone of the instruments and the acoustics.
Conversely, when playing an obbligato part, absolutely no alteration of either hand should be accepted. The benefit of playing obbligato repertoire is that there can be no ambiguity as to what is harmonically and stylistically authentic.
Suggested obbligatorepertoire to look at – J.S. Bach Sonata in B minor BWV 1030, A major BWV 1032, E flat major BWV 1031 and G minor BWV 1020. J.J. Quantz Sonata in G major, QV 2:28 Telemann Trio Sonata in A major aus Essercizii Musici ANT 111, François Couperin Les Goûts-Réunis. CPE Bach Sonatas for Flute and obligato keyboard.
I will be performing a programme in 2013/14 with my group ‘Continuum’ on baroque flute, exploring repertoire for obbligato harpsichord, cello and flute. Details of our concerts can be found on our website www.continuumtrio.co.uk