Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music, with Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach

Rating:
Summary: A detailed discussion of Baroque sources of ornamentation
Review: Books concerning performance practice are by their very nature controversial, and we can't ask Bach, Handel, or Telemann what they actually meant when they used a short-hand symbol or expected a performer to improvise a decoration. Or can we? Professor Neumann has compiled a volume based on writings in the Baroque era that attempts (successfully in my opinion) to provide some clues to the sketchy musical notations of busy and prolific composers in the Baroque era. His ideas are indeed controversial, but I think that they are well-reasoned and often brilliant. His knowledge of sources in the Baroque is magnificent, and his arguments are keenly-reasoned. This is a book of somewhat limited readership. Performers and scholars who play or edit Baroque music will find this to be a useful reference with a strong idex, a good bibliography, and a helpful guide to solving questions of decoration. Those who don't have an active involvement with Baroque music will find the book cryptic.

Rating:
Summary: Any baroque enthusiast should own this book.
Review: This book is a must have for any serious musician who performs any Baroque music, even if you aren't a period performer. The text gets tedious, but the knowledge presented is well worth the work.

I do wish there was more research on earlier 17th Century ornamentation practices.