Who does what? On the roles of the violoncello and double bass in the performance of Handels recitatives

This article addresses two questions, neither of which has received much attention from scholars working on Handel's performance practices: did the cello in Handel's continuo section occasionally realize recitative harmony senza cembalo (without harpsichord)? And was the double bass, which has been banished from modern performances of Handel's recitative, actually a regular part of his continuo ensemble when it accompanied recitative? Sources examined include iconography, contemporary manuscripts and testimony, and orchestral pay rosters.

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