The Art of Accompaniment from a Thorough-Bass: As Practiced in the XVII and XVIII Centuries, Volume I: Book

This is the reference that continuo players, harpsichordists, and Baroque specialists turn to when they need to ground their interpretive choices in historical practice. Arnold's 1931 research holds up because he examined actual treatises and performance conventions rather than imposing modern assumptions on the repertoire. Conductors programming Baroque vocal and instrumental works benefit enormously from having continuo players who have studied this volume; the results are palpable in ensemble cohesion and historical authenticity.

Opening this book is like gaining access to a master class taught by someone who has spent years in conversation with primary historical sources. Arnold's writing is scholarly without being inaccessible; he explains complex conventions with clarity and supports each point with musical examples and citations. The cumulative effect is confidence: you understand not just what to do, but why Baroque composers and performers made the choices they did.

This book serves continuo players, harpsichordists, organists, and conductors who work regularly with Baroque music and want a thorough grounding in seventeenth and eighteenth-century practice. It is equally valuable for music history students, editors preparing critical editions, and performers committed to historically informed performance. Anyone seeking to understand why Baroque music works the way it does will find Arnold's systematic analysis indispensable.

• Study the musical examples alongside the written explanations; Arnold uses notation to clarify concepts that words alone cannot convey.
• Use this text in tandem with period treatises when possible; Arnold cites original sources, which you can often access independently to deepen your understanding.
• Cross-reference specific figured bass passages from your repertoire with Arnold's analytical sections to see how historical principles apply to your own continuo playing.
• Read the introductions and conclusion first to establish the historical context, then return to individual chapters based on the specific performance challenges you face.

This is a rehearsal and preparation resource rather than a performance score, most valuable during the weeks leading up to Baroque programming. Continuo players should work through relevant chapters before their first rehearsal so they arrive with informed interpretive choices. Music history courses benefit from assigning sections that correspond to the repertoire students are studying or hearing in concert.

• Reading and interpreting figured bass notation in historical context
• Recognizing regional and stylistic differences in continuo practice across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
• Understanding the relationship between melodic embellishment and harmonic support
• Evaluating historical treatises and primary sources as guides to performance
• Developing historically informed accompaniment practices for solo voices and instruments