ABSTRACT
Accentuation (17th-20th c.). The playing of certain notes more loudly than others within a musical continuity. Although doubtless intrinsic to musical performance throughout history, such an emphasis has only become a conscious part of musical practice since the 17th century. For the historical performer accentuation centers upon what degree of emphasis should be accorded a given note or chord, both when this is indicated by an accentual sign and (with more difficulty) when it is not. (See also *dynamics.)
Early writings (17th c.) Caccini (1602) singled out certain notes for dynamic emphasis within his speech-like melody, especially by associating them with two new types of ornament, the esclamazione (a crescendo on a note) and il crescere e scemare (a crescendo and decrescendo on a note). Momentary accentuations of this kind, if used at all in earlier music, had not been notated as such. Caccini’s emphasis on particular syllables in a text represented a departure from the smooth style and diminutions of his predecessors.
