Jean Millet's L Art de bien chanter (1666), describes the air de cour and its ornamentation as it existed in France during the first half of the seventeenth century. This work, translated for the first time into English and transcribed into modern notation, and B6nigne de Bacilly's Remarques curieuses sur l'art de bien chanter (1668) are the only detailed treatises explaining vocal ornamentation during this period. To clarify his ornamentation method, Millet introduces terms referring to placement of agrements, though few performers used them. Millet expresses the old style, popular under Louis XIII, and the provincial view. Bacilly's treatise deals with the air de cour under Louis XIV, which had a more Italian flavor. He gives aesthetic principles aiding the performer in placing and selecting ornaments. Though Millet and Bacilly describe the same practice, striking differences exist between the two air de cour styles.

A two-fold analysis of the vocal ornamentation in Handel's aria, "He was despised" from Messiah, was conducted employing objective and subjective forms of listening practice associated with the analysis of recordings methodology. It is this author's hypothesis that prosody, born of the semiotic processes of rhythm, pitch and accent, and which is also reflective of the subjective understanding of the performer, will be present during the moment of an ornament--if it is present at all in any performance. Ornamentation is shown to be an entry into the world of subjectivity in Baroque vocal performance practice as well as a window into the oral tradition and the primacy of the singer's expressiveness that relates back to the Italian school to which Handel subscribed. The method of study in this monograph consists of examining scholarly writings, scores, notations and most importantly, applying listening practice to 38 different renditions of "He was despised," executed by female altos or by countertenors, under the direction of various conductors, dating from 1927 through 2006. The first of two listening practices is an analysis of recordings to identify and review the nature of the non-notated sung ornaments found in the recordings. The author develops a system of defining and categorizing the types and units of non-notated, aurally observed vocal ornaments executed in each performance. In the second phase of this study, the author incorporates a postmodern philosophical approach and notes her own subjective experiences during the analysis of recordings. This phase examines the idea that prosodic elements are associated with the subjective experience of emotional meaning, elucidation of text, and illumination of subtext in this aria from Handel's Messiah. Results include noteworthy findings about the interplay of the singer's subjectivity with ornamentation in affecting the listener's subjective reaction to the performance (e.g., narrator's viewpoint, beautifying versus emphasizing subtext). In conclusion, the author explores the relationship between a performer's prosodic and non-prosodic executions of ornamentation and proposes specific recommendations to singers who wish to execute ornamentation in a manner that is both historically informed as well as prosodically expressive of subtext. / Music Performance

In this study, historically informed performance practice (HIP) is investigated as an approach to the performance or vocal ornamentation, with special emphasis on the operas of George Frideric Handel. The study aims to use information about this approach to performance practice in order to show forth its significant role in the performance of Handel arias. Through musicological viewpoints that have arisen out of the historical performance debate since the late 20th century, the study investigates the development and attributes of the HIP movement in order to identify its essential characteristics. Following this process, the author is able to define the HIP approach subjectively. Once a clearer knowledge of HIP is obtained, its influence on the performance of ornamentation is studied. Because Handel's operas were composed in the Italian style, the Italian vocal method is explored. Historical information is gathered through the use of an aria, embellished by Handel, Affanni del pensier, from his opera Ottone. With this information, the author attempts to freely embellish an aria, Da tempeste if legno infranto, from Handel's opera, Giulio Cesare. This example of the performance style is practised with the historical information in mind, without inhibiting the creativity of the author. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

In this study, historically informed performance practice (HIP) is investigated as an approach to the performance or vocal ornamentation, with special emphasis on the operas of George Frideric Handel. The study aims to use information about this approach to performance practice in order to show forth its significant role in the performance of Handel arias. Through musicological viewpoints that have arisen out of the historical performance debate since the late 20th century, the study investigates the development and attributes of the HIP movement in order to identify its essential characteristics. Following this process, the author is able to define the HIP approach subjectively. Once a clearer knowledge of HIP is obtained, its influence on the performance of ornamentation is studied. Because Handel's operas were composed in the Italian style, the Italian vocal method is explored. Historical information is gathered through the use of an aria, embellished by Handel, Affanni del pensier, from his opera Ottone. With this information, the author attempts to freely embellish an aria, Da tempeste if legno infranto, from Handel's opera, Giulio Cesare. This example of the performance style is practised with the historical information in mind, without inhibiting the creativity of the author. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.