Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, with Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach
eBook - PDF

Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, with Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, with Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach

About this book

Ornaments play an enormous role in the music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and ambiguities in their notation (as well as their frequent omission in the score) have left doubt as to how composers intended them to be interpreted. Frederick Neumann, himself a violinist and conductor, questions the validity of the rigid principles applied to their performance. In this controversial work, available for the first time in paperback, he argues that strict constraints are inconsistent with the freedom enjoyed by musicians of the period.


The author takes an entirely new look at ornamentation, and particularly that of J. S. Bach. He draws on extensive research in England, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States to show that prevailing interpretations are based on inadequate evidence. These restrictive interpretations have been far-reaching in their effect on style. By questioning them, this work continues to stimulate a reorientation in our understandiing of Baroque and post-Baroque music.

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Yes, you can access Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, with Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach by Frederick Neumann in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Classical Music. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover page
  2. Half-title page
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright page
  5. Dedication
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Contents
  9. List of Abbreviations
  10. Part I: Introduction
  11. Part II: Baroque Trends of Ornamentation
  12. Part III: One-Note Graces
  13. Part IV: The Slide
  14. Part V: The Trill
  15. Part VI: The Compound Trill
  16. Part VII: The Mordent
  17. Part VIII: Other Small Ornaments
  18. Part IX: Free Ornamentation
  19. Postscript: Historical Research and Modern Performance
  20. Appendix: Selective Glossary of Terms and Symbols
  21. Selected Bibliography
  22. Index