ABSTRACT
Ornamentation has probably been the most discussed topic in the entire field of performance practice. It occupies an important place in theoretical writings both during the baroque period and in modern times. This chapter traces the twentieth-century history of the gathering of lost knowledge about baroque ornamentation and to point out major disputes and recommendations in relation to specific graces as musicological understanding developed during the designated period of 1945-75. The topic of ornamentation involves at least two main issues: agreements and decoratio. The principles of ornamentation and their application are bound to be open to dispute. Some of the apparent discrepancies in the scholarly writings published up until the mid-1970s seem to arise from the different use of available sources. Taking systematic stock of every surviving ornament table and attempting to provide ‘exact’ explanations of their execution derived from many contradictory sources might be part of the reason why the fundamental issues seem to have been overlooked.
