Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Bach Ornaments -- Trill and Mordents (BWV 926)

This question relates to BWV 926 -- the Little Prelude in d minor -- but also applies to other Bach Little Preludes/Inventions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyvP0pdGP8A

Do ornaments usually go up or down:

1) a half step?
2) a whole step?
3) to the next pitch in the key?
4) to something else?

Or does it all depend on various factors?

This especially relates to m. 21 -- are the top notes (a) C# C C#, (b) C# B C#, or (c) C# Bb C#?

But any help with more broadly applicable principles would be appreciated. Danke

This should help.

It is important to realize that the ornaments are left to the performer to add or remove, to change the type of ornament, and to change the execution of a particular ornament as it suites the mood of the performer or the instrument or the audience or the room.

That being said, there are reasonable constraints on how far afield one can go before the learned audience starts tossing tomatoes at you.

In answer to your question regarding meas. 21, it is played using a B natural.

There are two justifications for this:

1) the structure is, at that moment, in the dominant (A Major, which requires a B natural); and

2) the structure implies, at that moment, an ascending melodic minor scale (hidden within the arpeggiated movement), which also requires a B natural.

BWV 926, otherwise known as Prelude No. 3 from '9 Little Preludes' (BWV 924-931)

Glenn Gould: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyOV533fOM4

Alan Huckleberry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v40-__2JeRY

Barbara Arens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SBsFOcfipU

Oh.... here's a midi version by ME (just for fun).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIreUTx8GKQ&index=3&list=PLP5BZzcdRkq2rN3XRaEqDkns9rvNmEAq3

All completely DIFFERENT.

I wouldn't get TOOOOO hung up on ornamentation. Youtube and various editions provide a huge range of plausible ornamentation. My own approach is governed by what feels "right" in the context of the tempo, phrasing, and articulation that I ultimately adopt.

It's what tastefully fits the music and what feels right. Usually these ornament suggestions are only used by people performing in historical context. Don't trill like Chopin, but you can be a little more free in terms of whether or not to start on the auxiliary or above, etc.

Someone I like a lot but who steps out a bit more than the aforementioned pianists when it comes to ornamentation is Andras Schiff (sp?). I feel like he is always worth a listen, although a lot of people are very critical of his choice of tempi and his use of pedaling. I don't know if he has recorded the piece you are asking about or not, though. Best of luck with it!

Danke!