J.S. Bach Oboenwerke, vol.2

Why, judging by the survived music scores, different bodies of musicians were allowed for performing many works by composers of the Baroque epoch? What are the rules according to which the baroque instrumental ensembles were being formed? How to be about modern transcriptions of the ancient compositions? There is the only way to answer these questions, that is — to comprehend the special features of the baroque music, its key categories. The notion of trio widespread in that epoch deserves special attention here.
The baroque trio is a much wider category than trio in classical or romantic music since it indicates not the number of performers but the number and correlation of the musical tissue’s fibres: two expressive melodic voices are based on harmonic foundation of the figured bass (continuo part usually performed by one, two or three musicians). Such trio mode of musical thinking was as customary and natural for baroque composers as melodies to the accompaniment — for musicians of the next epoch. Thanks to the universal principles of the trio boundaries between the genres of the baroque instrumental music are transparent: one triple-voiced basis may be realized by varied bodies of performers.