The controversy over Bach's trills : towards a reconciliation

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Randall Mark Polevoi (Creator)

Institution

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )

Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Advisor

George Kiorpes

Abstract: A problem confronts the contemporary performer of Bach 1 s trills: How does one reconcile the conservative and liberal approaches to the simple trill with their conflicting arguments for upper-note, main-note, and anticipatory executions? The first section of this document addresses trill beginnings from a historical perspective. From the early decades of the sixteenth century the Italian and German schools of ornamental practice showed a pronounced bent towards main-note trills, while the French school used upper-note trills, particularly in the domain of keyboard music. Bach’s Clavierbuchlein, as well as the scholarly treatises that were written after his death, unequivocally embrace the upper-note design. However, they are not always definitive guides to the execution of Bach’s trills since there was a considerable interchange of nationalistic styles that made codification of ornaments difficult. Also the later treatises reflect the performance practices of the galant.

The controversy over Bach's trills : towards a reconciliation
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Created on 1/1/1994
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Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Language: English

Date: 1994

Subjects

Bach, Johann Sebastian, $d 1685-1750 $x Criticism and interpretation