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| Tips for All Keyboard Players | ||
| Seven Wonders of the World of Baroque Music |
Part 7: Articulation, Baroque Music’s Inflection |
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Articulation in music is like diction in speaking. It is about the manipulation of silences. It is accent. It is release. It provides breath, or air, to the music. It is not legato, nor has it anything to do with the legato we all learned on the piano or organ when playing 19th century music. Instead, articulation was the “ordinary manner” in the Baroque era. This ordinary procedure was literally, according to Türk, in 1789, “Lifting the finger from the key a bit earlier than the duration of the note requires.” 1 And earlier, Engramelle stated: “The duration is always followed by a silence. The length of the silence determines the articulation of the melody.” 2 We determine when or where to articulate by looking for:
But most of all, articulation is determined by the harmony. Sound familiar? Yes. The previous topics in this series of articles are all related to articulation. We began with harmony, from which the other characteristics all flow. Harpsichord Technique: A Guide to Expressivity, 2nd Edition, provides an in depth study and defense of articulation in chapters 3 and 4. In this article, I will briefly summarize for the reader a few of the rules for determining articulation (or, accent). METRICAL CONSIDERATIONS A “Hierarchy of Note Values” places a descending order of accent within a measure.
Bigger articulations are taken before strong beats and the strong beats are held longer. Weak beats receive shortened note values. When we have a series of weak beats, use little if any articulation between them. HARMONIC CONSIDERATIONS Also, if we have few chord changes or none, we should think in terms of fewer pulses to the measure. In a 4/4 measure, we should think of having 2 pulses, or even 1, if there are no chord changes. In a ¾ measure, we may have only 1 pulse. Dissonant or Unusual Harmonies NOTE VALUES In measure 1 of the Little Prelude in F, BWV 927, below, the 8th notes in the bass clef are structural, carrying the harmony. These 8th note chords would be articulated more than the notes in the treble clef. The measure has 2 harmonies, so we should feel 2 pulses, not 4. In the treble clef, the 16th notes are somewhat ornamental, more repetitive and less structural than the 8th notes in the bass. Also they include “two voiced” writing. The repeated notes, in the “top” voice are not as important as the lower notes, which serve to outline the harmony. So, I would hold the lower note of each group of 4 so that we can hear its importance over the other notes. In measure 3 the voices switch clefs. And you, the player, must switch your articulation, also!! You can hear this Little Prelude in F on the companion CD.
NOTES, PART SEVEN
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