Alberti bass

American  

[al-bur-tee beys, ahl-ber-] / ælˈbɜr ti ˈbeɪs, ɑlˈbɛr- /

noun

Music.

1. a reiterated broken-chord figure used as an accompaniment, especially in 18th-century rococo keyboard music.

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Etymology

Origin of Alberti bass

1875–80; named after Domenico Alberti (circa 1710–40), Italian musician

Example Sentences

Mr. Prutsman’s music cleverly combines evocations of five-finger exercises and Alberti bass figures with hazy harmonies, hints of mellow jazz, a two-step stride and a nod to Debussy.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2010

Some of the phrases and figures, and the occasional employment of the Alberti bass, tell, however, of the new era soon about to be inaugurated by Haydn.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)

The introduction of the Alberti bass is one clear sign of a post-Scarlatti period.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)

The so-called "Alberti" bass should be played in such a manner as to minimize the motion of the sixteenths, and to intensify the chord feeling.

From The Masters and their Music A series of illustrative programs with biographical, esthetical, and critical annotations by Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock)

In all these sonatas the increasing use of what is called the Alberti bass is noticeable.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)