Getting Away from Notation: The Tour de Chant

From J.B. Boismortier's Op. 35, E minor Suite Prelude

There are a couple of other things that one can unpack in this cadence! (see my previous post about notation) I'd like to mention another thing in relation to not getting bogged down by notation, and that's the little ornament indicated here known as the tour de chant. The ornament comes from vocal practice and circles around the upcoming note in stepwise motion. Together with the cadential trill, it's an effective way of propelling the melody forward to the cadence. You'll see this in different ways - sometimes notated with actual notes, sometimes as a sign, sometimes there's a little rest right before the ornament.

However it may be notated, keep in mind that the note value used is not representative of how you should actually play it. So for example, the above is not meant to be played like a triplet, and often times these kinds of ornaments are not notated with "correct" note values. The turn comes from the first main note (B) and connects elegantly to the second main note (A), it should sound a bit like something under the breath so be sure to lighten up your air on it. The first note is gently dotted so that the turn is played after the beat right before the second note. How much the first note is dotted and how quick the turn is played (so how long you wait before you "squeeze" it right before the second main note) will depend on the type of affect desired - sharp and quick for brilliancy, mild and slower for more tenderness (although this ornament mostly appears in tender movements). It's impossible and unnecessary to notate it exactly - subtlety and flexibility are what make baroque ornamentation ornamental yet highly expressive at the same time. 

We see one legato slur from the beginning of the B then going into the trill. Under this slur, we'll have to work our breath differently to create the necessary shapes under this one slur. Imagine that the slur indicates one big shape but there are smaller shapes that make up that one big shape. As mentioned earlier, lighten up, retract your air for the turn, and then you'll need to lean on the appoggiatura of the trill, nudge with your air to start, only to let go again, so that the anticipation and cadence happen within that whole diminuendo part of the trill. Create sub-shapes within one big shape. 

This is enjoying the magic behind the print! Discovering and having fun with the flexibility, the fluidity, and the expressiveness behind what's visible. In your sound, in your being.