The trio sonata for two melody instruments and continuo arose in Italy in the 17th century and is considered one of the most important Baroque music genres. The basic idea behind trio sonatas is the rivalry between two upper voices of equal status, over a bass line that alternately supports those voices and actively participates in the musical argument. Bach created a modified version of the trio sonata which involves only two instruments: a melody instrument and an obbligato harpsichord. The latter is not merely a continuo instrument, but takes part in the performance of the obbligato treble voices or even contributes towards the entire three-part texture. Bach’s preferred melody instruments for partnering with the harpsichord include the violin, the viola da gamba, and the flute… [280 more words]