Piano Key A To G: Episode Thirty Three - Music’s Most Addictive Device: The Ostinato

Following on neatly from last week’s discussion around musical motifs, let’s explore the related, but subtly different world, of the ostinato. What exactly is it? Can we recall some famous examples? What is its purpose, both for the composer and listener? And, crucially, can we come up with some piano improvisations, incorporating first melodic and then rhythmic ostinati?!