10 - The ornaments

Summary

Ornaments are adornments and embellishments of a melody; if they are used with care, they make it more pleasing, varied and flowing. These ornaments are indispensable, and can never be left out. If the composer has himself provided his melody with an abundance of them, then the performer must be very sparing and careful with his supplementary ones if he does not wish to spoil more than he improves. These ornaments are either essential or discretionary. These essential ornaments, which are really the seasoning of melody, cannot be left out and are therefore indispensable. They are represented by small notes before or between the notes themselves, or by certain signs over them; or even written out with ordinary notes, and included in the beat in various ways. If the composer has not expressed them, then it is left to the judgement of the performer to put them in. This requires a knowledge which can only be attained by long experience, and in which feeling is always a deciding factor. Since everyone feels differently, everyone must make his ornaments according to his own feeling. But since a piece that is to be played by several people at the same time is supposed to be played in a unanimous manner, it is necessary for the composer to write in everything he wants; and still it will be difficult enough for someone who has got used to embellishing every little note.