Ornaments in Baroque Music

Definition of Ornaments

Ornaments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody or harmony, but serve to decorate or “ornament” that line.
They were extensively used in Baroque music and are one of its key stylistic features.
The purpose of ornaments is to add complexity, expressiveness, and richness to a piece of music.

Trills: Rapid alternation between a note and the one above it. The note usually starts on the beat.
Mordents: Quick alternation between a note, the note above or below, and back to the initial note. The use of an upper or lower mordent often depends on the key in which the piece is written.
Appoggiaturas: A type of grace note that takes some of the time value from the next full note, creating a dissonant effect before resolving to the expected consonance.
Turns: A short figure consisting of the note above the one indicated, the note itself, the note below the one indicated, and the note itself again. It is marked by a sideways ‘S’ symbol above or below the note.

Ornaments played a central role in Baroque music (c. 1600-1750), which marks the beginnings of the concerto, sonata, and opera.
Musicians were expected to add their own ornaments to enhance the music they were playing.
Improvisation was important, and musicians often varied the ornaments they used on different performances.
Ornaments were included in the score, but often not clearly marked - musicians used their discretion in interpreting these markings.

Ornamentation was a key feature of Baroque concertos. Solo sections, known as Ritornello, were often heavily ornamented.
This ornamentation allowed the soloist to demonstrate their skill and virtuosity.
Concertos by composers such as Vivaldi and Bach are examples of the prominent use of ornaments in this era.