Fossil Traces of Vanished Voices: the Basso Continuo Part and the Reconstruction of Incomplete Polyphony

This article focuses on the role played by the basso continuo part in the context of the reconstruction of missing parts in incomplete polyphonic music. In fact, where preserved, the part of the instrumental bass, whatever it is called (basso continuo, bassus pro organo or ad organum, partitura or spartitura del basso or bassi, or other), is always very useful for the reconstruction of missing parts. The latter, in fact, like fossils, before disappearing, have left traces both in the figuring of the bass line (where present) and in the rhythmic-melodic configuration of this same line (as well as, albeit differently, of all the other surviving parts).