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University Microfilms International 300 N.Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - Order Number 1334060 The appoggiatura as an improvised ornament: A comparison between vocal and instrumental instructions as presented in Italian methods of the eighteenth century Camunas-C6rdova, Sandra T., M.A. The American University, 1988 U-M-I 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106 THE APPOGGIATURA AS AN IMPROVISED ORNAMENT: A COMPARISON BETWEEN VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS AS PRESENTED IN ITALIAN METHODS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY by Sandra T . Camunas-Cdrdova submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Music Signatures of^ Committee: Chairman: (Lu j a j UX College April 27, 1988 Date 1988 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE APPOGGIATURA AS AN IMPROVISED ORNAMENT: A COMPARISON BETWEEN VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL INSTRUCTIONS AS PRESENTED IN ITALIAN METHODS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY by Sandra T . Camunas-Cdrdova ABSTRACT In eighteenth-century music there were national varia­ tions in style pertaining to the practice of improvised ornamentation. One of these, the Italian practice of embel­ lishing, employed a mixture of essential and arbitrary ornaments. However, there seem to be differences in the treatment of the appoggiatura as an improvised ornament in Italian vocal and instrumental treatises. The main difficulties presented by the appoggiatura relate to the way in which it was written, its length, and its use in different pieces. Vocal and instrumental instruc­ tions as presented in Italian methods of the eighteenth century are compared in order to provide evidence and conclu­ sions regarding this practice. Vocal treatises mention the appoggiatura as an essen­ tial part of music. It was seldom written and had to be supplied by singers at sight. Instrumental treatises consis­ tently define the appoggiatura as a written ornament. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................... ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................... iv INTRODUCTION . ....................................... 1 PART ONE: VOCAL METHODS Chapter I. PIETRO praNCESCO TOSI: OPINIONI DE' CANTORI ANTICHI E MODERNI, O SIENO OSSERVAZIONI SOPRA IL CANTO F I G U R A T O ......................... 6 Johann Friedrich Agri c o l a ....................... 11 II. GIOVANNI BATTISTA MANCINI: PENSIERI E RIFLESSIONI PRATICHE SOPRA IL CANTO FIGURATO...................17 III. VINCENZO MANFREDINI: REGOLE ARMONICHE, O SIENO PRECETTI RAGIONATI PER APPRENDER LA MUSICA .... 22 PART TWO: INSTRUMENTAL METHODS IV. GIUSEPPE TARTINI: TRAIT£ DES AGRliMENTS DE LA M U S I Q U E ........................... 27 Rules for Descending Appoggiaturas.............. 29 Rules for Ascending A p p o g g i a t u r a s .............. 33 V. ANTONIO LORENZONI: SAGGIO PER BEN SUONARE IL FLAUTOTRAVERSO................................. 35 Rules for Duration of the Appoggiatura.......... 35 VI. FRANCESCO GALEAZZI: ELEMENTI TEORICO-PRATICI DI MUSICA, CON UN SAGGIO SOPRA L'ARTE DI SUONARE IL VIOLINO ANALIZZATA...................40 CONCLUSIONS . ......................................... 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY . ............ 49 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Tosi's Examples of Appoggiatura................... 9 2. Tosi's Use of Inferior C a d e n c e s ......................12 3. Agricola's Ornaments in R e c i t a t i v e ..................14 4. Mancini's Use of Appoggiatura in Recitative.... 21 5. Manfredini's Use of the Appoggiatura ............... 24 6 . Tartini's Examples of Descending Appoggiaturas . 30 7.. Tartini's Use of the Appoggiatura................. 34 8 . Tartini's Use of Descending M o r d e n t s ............... 34 9. Lorenzoni's Examples of Gruppetto and Appoggiatura 38 10. Galeazzi's Use of Ascending A p p o g g i a t u r a........... 43 INTRODUCTION For contemporary musicians, it is a common practice to play music exactly as written. The precision of modern nota­ tion supports this attitude. The wide variety of musical vocabulary available for the contemporary composer makes it possible to be specific in matters of tempo, rhythm, dynam­ ics, instrumentation, pitch, and note duration. At the same time, it is natural to expect the performer to interpret precisely what he sees. This precision and fidelity to written music is taken for granted. But it was not so for music of earlier periods. While composers use notation according to the conven­ tions and expectations of their time, we cannot pretend those expectations to be the same for different periods in the history of music; and if these conventions and expectations are ignored, twentieth-century performers have a chance of misinterpreting music of earlier periods. One of these conventions was the art of improvisation, which occurred at varying levels, from the adding of single notes to the embellishing of entire movements. Adding orna­ ments to written music was a natural and common way of performing. Since the notated melody was often considered an outline, the interpreter not only was privileged, but most of the time was expected, to add the appropriate embellishments, 1 2 even if the composer left no written indications for doing so. In the early eighteenth century, improvised ornamenta­ tion was considered an art. According to many treatises, composers wrote simple melodies so that performers could develop them, making them recipients of added ornaments. Directions for this practice are to be found in contemporary methods. Two main kinds of ornaments are the arbitrary ornaments and the essential ornaments or agrdments. The arbitrary ornaments (e.g. , diminutions) were freer in form and had a wider range. Because of their unprescribed nature, there was no standard way of indicating them. On the other hand, the essential ornaments (e.g., trill, appoggiatura) had a fixed form and a small melodic range. Some ways of indicating them were by means of small notes, stenographic signs, or integrating them into the music in regular note values. In some cases, the composer did not indicate them, but gave the performer the freedom to impro­ vise them as needed. There were significant national variations in style pertaining to this practice that presented different atti­ tudes regarding the performer's role, as well as the degree, frequency, and types of ornaments to be used. The French view employed mostly ornaments of the fixed form, generally indicated by stenographic signs or small 3 notes, thus reducing the number of embellishments that could be improvised. Freer ornaments were not favored in this style. The German practice was moderate, avoiding overindul- gence. The English view was mostly influenced by the Italian practice. The Italian practice of embellishing employed a mixture of the essential and arbitrary ornaments. This allowed performers to improvise both agr6ments and diminutions. However, there seem to be differences in the treatment of the appoggiatura as an improvised ornament in Italian vocal and instrumental treatises of the eighteenth century. The main difficulties presented by the appoggiatura relate to the way in which it was written, its length, and its use in different pieces. It could be written in two different ways, as a small note, and integrated into music. Its length, which was seldom specified by notation, was determined by musical conventions. The time value could vary from a fraction of the note to which it was attached to the entire value of that note. In certain cases, the appoggia­ tura was regarded as obligatory, depending on the type of piece and the affect or sentiment to be expressed. Various prerequisites and limitations will be reviewed to provide evidence and conclusions concerning the practice of the appoggiatura in eighteenth-century Italy. By examining ornamentation instructions in instrumental and vocal Italian methods of the eighteenth century, this 4 study attempts to determine to what extent the treatment of the appoggiatura as an improvised ornament was widespread in eighteenth-century Italy. It will compare instructions for this practice for both singers and instrumentalists and consider differences in attitude, frequency of use, and the value of the appoggiatura as an added embellishment.