On 9 Aug 2006 at 19:34, John Howell wrote:

> At 4:22 PM -0400 8/9/06, David W. Fenton wrote:
> >On 9 Aug 2006 at 12:50, John Howell wrote:

[]

> >>  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.
> 
> OK, I may have my terminology mixed up (not the 
> first time!).  But how is the viol flattement 
> played, since the name describes a vibrato-like 
> ornament going below the main pitch?

On the viol it's not below the main pitch, as you can't do that if 
you have other strings down below the sounding string.

> >>  . . . 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.
> 
> Well, if the pincée is extended it's no longer a 
> mordent.  The ornament I'm thinking of is a 
> 2-finger vibrato/trill extending over the fret, 
> but not raising the pitch a full halfstep and so 
> more of a vibrato than a trill.  I used to think 
> it required frets, until I tried it on violin and 
> found that it works just fine.

That's flattement in all the sources I've read, and also what my 
teacher has always called it.

> >>  . . . although in that
> >  > case the pitch variation is up rather than down.)
> >
> >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.
> 
> Editor's choice, of course.  There's hardly any 
> question about the notation indicating 
> appoggiaturas, while the ornament in question 
> wouldn't have been brought up except for being a 
> pretty non-standard one.  Even the rather 
> knowledgeable people on this list can't agree on 
> its realization.

Sounds like an argument for *not* realizing it, except in an advisory 
ossia.

> >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.
> 
> Again, mixing up a common sign with an unusual 
> one, but of course my choice as editor might be 
> different from yours.

I hate editions that take away my choices. Printing the original 
notation with an ossia suggested realization would do the job, I 
think, and making it clear that the performer was free to disregard 
the ossia suggestion.

-- 
David W. Fenton                    http://dfenton.com
David Fenton Associates       http://dfenton.com/DFA/


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