As string players of the twenty-first century, new demands are continuously being put on us to expand our repertoire and become more accurate in our interpretations. This is perhaps more apparent than ever, with rarely performed violin works from the 18th century becoming extremely popular within the classical world. These pieces are often performed in recital settings, juxtaposed to romantic sonatas and contemporary solo pieces. What we have now is a desire in the music community to learn as much as we can about every era of music, and to keep this knowledge and these compositions alive through their performance.
With the help of David Boyden’s book: The History of Violin Playing from its Origins to 1761, I have come to the realization that this music composed for the violin between 1700-1761 is not for the amateur player. Nor is it all of the same style. The pieces composed during this time are very unique to each composer, much as contemporary pieces are today, but what I believe unites these composers is an obsession with uncovering the capabilities of this new instrument called the ‘violin,’ and how these capabilities can be pushed to their limit in the hands of a performer.
Forms of Ornamentation Predating the 18th Century
Before the 18th century, there were many types of ornamentation that existed. The music that was performed at this time was composed not for a single instrument, but could be played by any number of instruments or voices. Because of this, the ornamentation used could be performed by anyone. There were, however, ways to make these pieces more idiomatic for your specific instrument. One of these ways was to add passaggi into what you were performing. The player would take the simple melody and add scalar passages (along with any other notes or techniques the player preferred) in order to make the music more interesting, and unique to your specific instrument. For the violin, this usually included the addition of slurred string crossings.
This practice of adding passaggi became so popular that composers began to feel the need to indicate in the score exactly what they wanted to be performed. This need to be precise, without writing out every note, is where we find the first basic notations for ornamentation that extend through the 18th century. The word trillo was used to indicate that the note be repeated. Tremolo (also: tremulo or tremulus ascendens), meant the performer should play a trill beginning on the main note and trilling to the note either a half step or whole step above the main note.
Tremoletto was a short version of a tremolo. The groppo (or gruppo), was a trill starting with a note a whole or half step above the given note, or was sometimes an indication for a turn.
The mordent or tremulus descendens meant to play a trill starting with the given note, trilling to the note a half step or whole step below.
Works would also include notation for arco, pizzicato, and portato. There was also the introduction of simple dynamic markings during this time, such as crescendo and diminuendo.
The Emergence of a True "Violin Sound"
At the beginning of the 18th century, there was a shift towards more idiomatic violin repertoire and the desire for a more natural voice-like sound for lyrical passages. Along with this came the search for unique sounds that could only be produced on a stringed instrument. Muffat is probably the most thorough source that we have on how violin ornamentation was performed during this time. The groppo of the previous century, became known as a trill (was also notated as: shakes, tremblements, t, tr, =, etc.). It still generally starts from above the written note, but with the emphasis on the upper note. When written as long or medium in length, the upper note may be played with a longer stroke. Sometimes the trill ends with notes called ‘afterbeats’ (G: Nachschlage), but these are rarely seen in shorter trills.
The length of the trill is about the same length of the written note, and the speed of the trill itself is made to match the speed or intensity of the movement and phrase in which it appears. This might mean that in some trills, such as those approached from the note above, may have to be played as a ‘half trill’ in order to be the correct length. The use of trills in violin works became more and more elaborate and virtuostic throughout the early 1700s. Some violinists were able to perform double trills in thirds, sixths, or octaves (only within the French school), as well as consecutive trills, trills reached by sudden leaps, and trills on syncopated beats or parts of beats.
Notes
This is just an introduction into some of the markings that can be found in music from the 18th century. The list of techniques demanded on the performer during this time period, as compared to the 17th century, is seemingly endless. What makes this especially confusing for the modern violinist is the lack of explanation behind these markings, the lack of standardization for these markings, and how they compare to our techniques used today. I hope this article offers a starting point for violinists who wish to understand and authentically perform the common ornamentations that appeared in works between 1700 and 1761.
Kimberly Hankins - Kimberly Hankins is a violist/violinist currently based in the DC Metro area. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing, and bikram ...
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