On 9 Aug 2006 at 12:50, John Howell wrote: []
> Seeing the context, my first instinct would be to > play a slide. That is, in the first example (and > assuming this is treble clef), start on an F on > the beat, play F, G very quickly, and end on the > A. Two things lead me in that direction. First, > in all 4 examples, the strokes appear to be > placed (or can be interpreted to be placed) a > third below the half note. Second, in all 4 > examples, that would duplicate the interval of > the two 8th notes. The Afekt would be to > emphasize, with the ornament, the second beat of > each measure. This was actually my first thought, though I can't make any kind of definitive argument for it. > The other suggestions that it could indicate an > appoggiatura (a lower one in this case), a > mordent, or a trill of some kind, are also quite > possible. It is the context that suggests the > solution I favor. Note that the second one in the top staff is not really a 3rd below (and the 1st one in that same staff is rather high for a 3rd). On the other hand, the appoggiatura is omitted in the last measure of the 2nd staff, so there's inconsistency there already (typical for the time). > What you call a "fluttering" effect is more > likely a "flatement," an ornament unique to > woodwind instruments with open holes, . . . Er, it's not at all "unique to woodwind instruments." The flattement was a favorite ornament of the French viola da gambists. > . . . played as a > sort of finger vibrato on the lowest open holes > without actually closing that hole. (A similar > effect, the "pincée," is possible on fretted or > unfretted strings instruments, . . . The pincée and flattement are two distinctly different ornaments. The pincée is a mordent, while the flattement is the wide finger vibrato. > . . . although in that > case the pitch variation is up rather than down.) The two don't have *anything* to do with each other according to my reading of French gamba music and treatises. > I've never seen any indication that an actual > flutter-tongue effect would have been used in the > baroque, although I wouldn't rule anything out. > There are signs for various kinds of tremolo on > various instruments. There's very little standardization for stringed instruments of the time, and no clear distinction between tremolo and vibrato (certainly not the distinctness that we have in mind today). > If my guess about the slide is correct, it can be > indicated with the notation I suggested above, > probably two 32nd notes followed by a dotted 8th > tied to a quarter. That would keep a naive > player from playing the grace notes ahead of the > beat. . . . Would you then also realize the appoghiaturas in the measures that follow? Either the player knows how to play this sort of music or they don't, and either knows that ornaments of this kind are generally on the beat or they don't. Realizing it will only confuse those who *do* know the style, so I'd write it out as Finale grace notes, and assume that anyone interested in playing this repertory will be knowledgable enough to apply period practice. > . . . If not a slide, a more standard sign > should be used. . . . I disagree. I'm with Johannes in arguing for including the original notation and the editor's suggestion for realization (perhaps as an ossia) and letting the performer decide whether the editor's suggestion is credible or not. -- David W. Fenton http://dfenton.com David Fenton Associates http://dfenton.com/DFA/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
