A Study on Ornamentation and Expression in French vocal Music  (1650-1750)

Kitty Lai

This study aims to understand and learn about the historical performance practice in the 17th century. As an early music singer, I am attracted to the sweet and charming 17th-century French vocal music. In particular, I am interested in the relationship between French ornamentation and expression. This research investigates the background of 17th-century performance practice in France in relation to the ornamentation, the pronunciation of 17th-century French, the different types of ornaments and the expression implied by the ornaments. The performance practice in the 17th century was different from now since it was undergoing a major change from polyphonic to solo music, which emphasised more the text than the music. The knowledge of ornamentation was an expected requirement for all well-trained singers in the 17th century, ornamentation was not merely a decoration, but a tool in emphasizing the importance of the text. Thus, it is necessary to learn ornamentation for a complete 17th-century French vocal performance. Since text was the main element in 17th-century French vocal music, it is important to know the characteristics of French language in this period. The ability to distinguish French long and short syllables was important because ornamentation could only be applied mostly to long syllables. The pronunciation of certain French vowels has undergone a significant alteration, and the ‘old’ way of pronouncing them is included in the study. The research findings also show that some ornaments were meant to be used only in certain expression and they help me to better ‘compose’ French ornamentation in future performances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we see that the relationship between ornamentation and expression can be largely established with the findings of this research, since 17^th- to 18^th-century authors including Bacilly and Montéclair stated in their treatise how ornamentation could help expressing the passion in the music. This research could be more comprehensive if more primary sources from the early 18^th century were consulted, including the treatises by Jean Antonie Bérard, François-Joseph L’Ecuyer and Michel L’Affillard. It is important for modern singers to take into account the expression and passion of the French song they are performing, so that the interpretation of the ornamentation can be appropriately matched with the music. The aim of this research has been to offer an insight for modern singers to understand the performance practice of 17^th- to early 18th century ornamentation in French songs. Singers are encouraged to further study other primary sources to enrich their knowledge of the agréments not mentioned in this research, so that it will contribute to a better informed French vocal music performance.

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