Treatise on Vocal Performance and Ornamentation by Johann Adam HillerHiller's Treatise on Vocal Performance and Ornamentation was published in Germany in 1780 and is an important manual on vocal technique and performance in the eighteenth century. Hiller was a masterful educator and was active not only as a teacher but as a critic, composer, conductor and music director. Thus, his observations served not only to raise the standards of singing in Germany, based on the Italian model, but to present complicated material, particularly ornamentation, in a manner that his peers, the middle class, could emulate. This present edition, translated with an introduction and extensive commentary by musicologist Suzanne J. Beicken, makes Hiller's treatise available for the first time in English. With its emphasis on practical aspects of ornamentation, declamation and style it will be valuable to instrumentalists as well as singers and is a significant contribution to the understanding of performance practice in the eighteenth-century. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Note on the text and musical examples | 32 |
Preface | 35 |
DEDICATION | 49 |
1 On the qualities of the human voice and its improvement | 51 |
2 On good performance and how to use the voice | 56 |
3 On good performance with regard to text and music | 66 |
4 On good performance with regard to ornaments | 72 |
5 On good performance with regard to passaggi | 101 |
6 On good performance with regard to the various genres of vocal forms and in consideration of performing in various place | 110 |
7 On cadenzas | 121 |
8 On arbitrary variation of the aria | 135 |
APPENDIX | 155 |
| 185 | |
| 190 | |
Common terms and phrases
accent Anleitung Anweisung zum musikalisch-richtigen Anweisung zum musikalisch-zierlichen appeared appoggiaturas arbitrary variations aria art of singing Baird beautiful Bernacchi Bologna Born breath Burney Butt C. P. E. Bach cadence cadenzas Caffarelli castrato chapter choral church music composer concert conservatories court Cuzzoni da capo aria début declamation died dotted dotted note Dresden eighteenth century essential ornaments example famous fermatas figures Francesco German Giuseppe Grove Hasse heard Heriot improvised indicated Introduction inverted mordent Italian Italy Johann Adam Hiller Kapellmeister legato Leipzig Lesson London main note Mancini Mattheson melody ment meter Milan Music Education Musical Tours musician musikalisch musikalisch-richtigen Gesange musikalisch-zierlichen Gesange Nachschlag Naples opera Parma passaggi performance practice Pistocchi portamento Quantz Rome sang Schleifer Senesino singer singing in Germany Singspiel soprano staccato student style sung syllables talent taste tempo theater theorists tion tone Tosi and Agricola Tosi’s treatise trill Venice Vienna virtuoso vocal music voice