Baroque Music: Style and Performance. A Handbook

This book makes avaliable for the first time in paperback the fruit of a lifetime's research into baroque performing practice. Drawing on the encyclopaedic wealth of material in the author's classic studies "The Interpretation of Early Music" and "A Performer's Guide to Baroque Music", it supplies a basic grounding for students, performers and all early music enthusiasts.

From the teeming abundance and confusion of the contemporary evidence. Professor Donington has here picked out all the essential information which the modern musician needs to guide his own interpretative decisiojns. Wherever possible this is cited in the words of the baroque composers and writers themselves.

This book is a joy to use and a pleasure to dip into... seemingly exhaustive in its catalogue of wise words and helpful hints. No instrument case or bookshelf should be without it.

CONTENIDO

Author's note

1. Getting the Feel
-Getting the Feel
-A variety of idioms

2. Preparing the Text
.Acquiring the material
-Completing the notes
-Marking up the material

3. Shaping the Tempo
-Good tempo a variable
-Time-signatures
-Time-words
-Dance-forms
-Measured timings
-Flexibility in baroque tempo
-Notated rallentandos
-Flexibility in recitative
-Working rules for tempo

4. Shaping the Line
-Sustaining and inflecting
-Phrasing and articulation
-Dynamic contrasts
-Dynamic structure
-Echoes and humps
-Vibrato
-Dynamic balance
-Accentuation
-Syncopation and hemiola

5. Shaping the Rhythm
-Rhythmic alteration
-Inequality
-Dotted notes
-Triplet rhythms
-Examples of rhythmic alteration

6. Accidentals
-Placement or displacement by accidentals
-Persistence of accidentals
-Examples involving accidentals

7. Ornamenting the Line
-Choice and necessity
-Free ornamentation
-Suggestions for free ornamentation
-Examples of free ornamentation

8. Specific Ornaments
-An open situation
-The appoggiatura
-Appoggiaturas in recitative
-The double appoggiatura
-The passing appoggiatura
-The slide and the tirata
-The acciaccatura
-The trill
-Examples illustration the trill
-The mordent
-The turn and other changing or passing notes
-Compound ornaments

9. Accompaniment
-Improvised composing
-Accompanying recitative
-Instruments of accompaniment
-Examples of accompaniment

10. The Sound
-Sound and sense
-Transparency and incisiveness
-A balance in music and performance

References
Further reading
Index