Date sent: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 10:47:58 EST
Subject: Re: Bach B Minor Mass
To: vocalist
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Well, although I sing mostly as a basso cantante now... back in my
countertenor days (I still sing as one periodically), I sang the "Laudamus
Te" many times.
I hope to remind you that, though it is good to listen to other singers, you
never listen to others for how they sing the piece.... You should try to
develop your own "stamp" on each thing... It develops your individual
artistry better.

But, second, let's give you a little lesson in Bach/Baroque ornamentation.
First of all, there are more to ornaments than just the trill and improvising
fioriture that harmonically go with the structure of the piece. As a matter
of fact, the second choice is not really done in Bach. Bach tends to have
written out pretty much what he wants the singer to do. Now if you have a da
capo aria, it's a tad different.... but you must also remember, this is
sacred music, the idea behind such things, for such purpose is create beauty,
but don't ornament TOO much as to show off.

Also, Sara, many types of trill-like ornaments exist: mordents, shakes,
trilli, and some modifications combining turns with trilli (consisting
sometimes of appoggiature leading into shakes or turns, etc.)

Usually, if you are going to ornament a note that is in a phrase... and it
seems melodically right.... you would execute a mordent. This ornaments is a
small quick, yet noticeable, fluctuation of pitch... either a minor 2nd below
or a major 2nd above the written note (unless the note is the leading tone,
"ti," and then it's either a major 2nd below and a minor 2nd above). A great
example of this is at the very begining of Bach's famous "warhorse," as
organists call it, Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The first note has a mordent
over it.

If the pitch in the phrase is moving to some sort of resolution (usually a
leading tone to the tonic or the subdominant sharped to the dominant), you
use a trillo.... what we know as the trill.... but with a slight
modification. When you do the trill in Bach, it is common and good scholarly
practice not to just trill upon the note, but lead it up to the next note (or
the resolution). Let the pitch fluctuate and then right before the next pitch
comes up... move a degree below whatever pitch you're trilling on.... and go
up those degrees to the resolution pitch written.

So that:
Given a trill as a leading tone or sharped subdominant, on a quarter note:

1=resolution pitch, 2=pitch to be trilled, 3=optional trill pitch

It would be either this:
21212132 then 1

OR
23232132 then 1

Most notation programs execute the trill as if it were a 32nd note... and
that's a good estimate for a nice, clean trill. Also, it depends on how
quickly you can begin the the execution of the trill, or trillo, itself. If
you have to lead into it, slowly fluctuating pitch and picking up speed
through the note, it is recommended that you start the note earlier - maybe a
half-beat early and carry the trill through the note value, doing the
modification at the end (another accepted practice).

We'll leave shakes alone, because Bach doesn't give many shakes in his voccal
music.... more of an instrumental thing, I believe.

But, another thing you must discern for yourself is how you execute
coloratura period. Do you use the method where you quicken the vibrato and
focus the sound more, providing more focus and articulation on each pitch
through diaphragm support, or some other method like Cecilia Bartoli's more
"aspirated" coloratura.... These will also determine your ornamentation
execution time, etc.

So, enjoy working on the piece. I hope this helped you out a little bit. Good
Luck!!

Regards,
Cailin M. Manson-Ligons
Lyric Bass-Baritone
Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University,
Philadelphia, PA