Accompaniment

Accompaniment, in Music, is the assisting or aiding of a solo part by other parts, which may consist of a whole orchestra, or a single instrument, or even subservient vocal parts. It is either ad libitum, when it may be omitted at pleasure, or obbligato, when it forms an integral part of the composition. It serves to support and beautify the solo part, and therefore should not predominate, but merely assist to place the solo part in its brightest light. In this point of view, modern composers have often erred by making the accompaniment too full, and causing it to stand out so independent, that the solo part is often, as it were, entirely lost. This abuse takes place mostly in vocal music; and not only is the effect destroyed, but the vocal organ of the singer is frequently ruined. This is a result, though not a necessary one, of an increasing aim towards a polyphonic style, in which the parts are all of nearly equal value and importance; and it is undoubtedly in this style that the greatest music has been written. The works of Richard Wagner are notable as containing many passages in which the voice is overwhelmed by the orchestral accompaniment, and but few singers have ever been able to cope with this difficulty. The operas of Mozart may probably be regarded as striking the balance most happily on this point. In accompaniment, the composer should keep three principal points in view—harmony, rhythmical figure, and suitable choice of instrumentation, in respect to volume and character of tone; but all must be subservient to the ruling character of the solo part. The accompaniment should, above all things, by its certainty and firmness, prevent wavering. Good accompaniment is as creditable as solo playing; and all qualified orchestras view it as of great importance. In the scores of the older masters, especially Bach and Handel, frequently very faint indications are given of the parts of the accompaniment beyond a figured bass—i.e. the bass part with certain recognised figures written above it—indicating the harmony to be played to each note. At that time, the art of playing from this was in general practice among musicians; but it is now necessary to have these parts written out. The work of supplying additional accompaniments to these scores, adapted for the modern orchestra, has been performed by numerous eminent musicians, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and others, the most successful of all being probably Robert Franz.