MA COLLOQUE 25, 17th edition
From 20 October to 23 October Belgium / Brussels
Basso continuo is a topical subject that is once again in high demand among students and teachers. It was chosen as the subject for the 2025-26 academic year by the entire teaching staff during the review of the last symposium.
This symposium will seek to develop as many topics as possible around basso continuo, for the benefit of all the melodic and harmonic instrument classes in our Department. It is important to realise that basso continuo is the basis of our early music, which takes many forms, from partimento to orchestral pieces. While it is a professional technique for certain instruments, basso continuo is above all a teaching method for the initial training of musicians. The filling parts of instrumental pieces are often basso continuo parts. As such, all instruments are concerned.
Two external experts will be joining us for this symposium: Elam Rotem, who will be working on the theme of Il suonar pieno, and Ewald Demeyere, who will be working on basso continuo in 18th-century Germany.
Basso continuo will be the common thread throughout the 2025-26 academic year. As such, we would like all classes to take up the subject in their own way and adapt it to their own programme, both in melodic and harmonic instrument classes and in theory or theory-practice classes.
Basso continuo will be the common thread throughout the 2025-26 academic year. As such, we would like all classes to take up the subject in their own way and adapt it to their own programme, both in melodic and harmonic instrument classes and in theory or theory-practice classes.
The symposium will enable us to start the subject by pooling knowledge, sources and practices, while developing a common language. The practical application of this symposium will continue throughout the year in instrument, singing, basso continuo and chamber music classes, as well as in auditions, ensemble and orchestra projects, which we want to focus as much as possible on the central role of basso continuo. These projects may be introduced through group lessons, but also through specific presentations given by internal or external speakers, as well as through study days. This year, which focuses on basso continuo, will conclude with a plenary feedback day that will highlight all the activities carried out during the year on this theme.
All of this will serve as preparation for the 2026 symposium, which will explore the oratorio of the 17th and 18th centuries and will be combined with a trip to Bologna and Modena.
