Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VIII: Art • Sport • Vol. 4 (53) No. 1 – 2011

ORNAMENTS DESCRIBED BY JACQUES

MARTIN HOTTETERRE AND THOSE USED
BY THE POPULAR PIPE-PLAYERS AROUND
ODORHEIU SECUIESC

Ignác Csaba FILIP1 Gábor KOVÁCS2

Abstract: The ornamentations described by Jacques Martin Hotteterre in his

theoretical works provide us a complex image of the use of proper ornaments in
the French baroque music. Some of these ornaments can be found in the
instrumental technique of the Hungarian popular pipe-players from
Transilvania, but they are also present in all folklore regions of Romania.

Key words: Hotteterre, ornaments, popular pipe, French baroque music,

Odorheiu Secuiesc region

1. Introduction without points of connection in the history

of music, we can find solutions that are
About the ornaments used in the French absolutely identical.
baroque music dedicated to flute we find a In the followings we are going to analyse
detailed description in the introduction of the similarities and differences in
the work about flute, Piéces pour la flûte ornamentation of the two musical genres
traversiére et autres instruments avec la dedicated to baroque flute and to the
basse, oeuvre2 1, written by the famous popular pipe among the two representative
flute-player, instrument-maker, composer musical genres for the instruments
and teacher, Hotteterre de Jacques Martin, presented above: French baroque music
published in 1708 in Amsterdam. and the music of pipe-players from the
The ornaments described by Hotteterre region of Odorheiu Secuiesc.
can be found in the instrumental technique
of the Hungarian popular pipe-players 2. Ornaments described by Hotteterre
from Transylvania, but they are also present in the music of the flute-
present in all folklore regions of Romania. players from the region of Odorheiu
Though the two musical genres are Secuiesc
completely different as structure and

1
Faculty of Music, Transilvania University of Braşov.
2
Institute of Arts, Faculty of Music, University of Szeged.
18 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VIII • Vol. 4 (53) No. 1 - 2011

2.1. Ornaments, which are present in

both musical genres

2.1.1. The posterior/subsequent Fig. 1. Accent

superior appoggiatura
Here are two examples from the music of
A frequently used ornament in both pipe-players from Harghita-county:
genres is the posterior/subsequent superior a. Lassú csárdás (Slow Czardas)
appoggiatura described by Hotteterre under Mihăileni village, Collected by
the name Accent: Zoltán Juhász [2]

Fig. 2. The posterior/subsequent superior appoggiatura

b. Feketemagú cseresznye
Mihăileni village, Collected by
Zoltán Juhász [2]

Fig. 3. The posterior/subsequent superior appoggiatura

In the sixth measures of the two above has also got the role to mark the ending of a
examples the subsequent superior musical phrase, preceding the ending sound
appoggiatura is used with the same role not of the phrase.
only at Hotteterre but also at the pipe-player
from Mihaileni village: to interpolate an 2.1.2. Inferior and superior appoggiatura
ornament between two sounds with identical at Hotteterre appears under the names Port
height. At the pipe-player, the appoggiatura de voix and coulement:

Fig. 4. Inferior and superior appoggiatura

I.Cs. FILIP et al.: Ornaments described by Jacques Martin Hotteterre and … 19

Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)

Lueta village, Collected by
Zoltán Juhász [2]

Fig. 5. Inferior appoggiatura

In the above example we find two mark the ending of a musical phrase,
inferior appoggiaturas (in 4 and 10) This preceding the ending sound of the phrase.
ornaments is frequently used both in An example with inferior appoggiaturas,
French baroque music and all folklore without playing the role of marking the
regions. In the case of the flute-players end of a musical phrase (measures 2, 3, 12
from Harghita county – similar to the and 13):
posterior/subsequent superior appoggiatura Maroszéki – Mihăileni village
(figures 2 and 3) – have got the role to Collected by Zoltán Juhász [2]

Fig. 6. Inferior appoggiatura without having intended to mark the end of musical phrases
Superior appoggiatura, named coulement An example of the use of superior
by Hotteterre, is frequently used in French appoggiatura, without having the role of
baroque music, usually having the role of filling a descending third.
filling a descending third. However, in the
music of flute-players from Harghita- Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)
county we rarely meet this type of Mihăileni village
appoggiatura. Collected by Zoltán Juhász [2]

Fig. 7. Superior appoggiatura

20 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VIII • Vol. 4 (53) No. 1 - 2011

2.1.3. Mordent, named Battement at

Hotteterre:

Fig. 8. Mordent

In the two treaties of Hotteterre there is The examples from Fig. 6. and the
only mentioned the mordent with under following, Fig. 7 are models of usage of
note. Similarly, in his works dedicated to mordents with under and upper note in the
wind instruments we can only find this music of the flute-players: a superior
type of mordent. In the music of pipe- mordent is immediately followed by a
players we can find both the superior mordent with under note.
mordent and the mordent whit under note.
Marosszéki – Mihăileni village
Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]

Fig. 9. Mordents with under and upper note

2.1.4. Turn called Tour de gosier at

Hotteterre:

Fig. 10. Tour de gosier

Here is a melody with two turns in Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)

measures 4 and 6: Mihăileni village
Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]
I.Cs. FILIP et al.: Ornaments described by Jacques Martin Hotteterre and … 21

Fig. 11. Turn

In the case of pipe-players the grupet is present, in the majority of cases, in the
practiced at the ending of the musical interior of the musical phrases
phrase, having the similar role or keeping
the place of the inferior appoggiatura, 2.1.5. Double appoggiatura, called by
analised in the chapter 2.1.2. On the other Hotteterre Port de voix double, appears
hand, in Hotteterre’s works, the turn (tour treated in the following way:
de gosier) has not got this function, being

Fig. 12. Double appoggiatura

It is an ornament with a more reduced Keserves – Ineu Ciuc

use in both musical genres. Here is an Rubato
example from Ciuc region: Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]

Fig. 13. Double appoggiatura

2.2. Ornaments present only in the 2.2.1. The Trill, described by Hotteterre
treaty of Hotteterre: under the name Tremblement and Demie
Cadence apuiée:

Figure 14. The trill

22 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VIII • Vol. 4 (53) No. 1 - 2011

The trill is absent in the instrumental 2.2.2. Cluster mixed with cadenza
practice of pipe-players in the region of shake, the Tour de chant appears in the
Odorheiu Secuiesc, although it is an following way at Hotteterre:
ornaments practised in all the folklore-
zones, at every musical instruments. In the
works of Hotteterre as well, it is a
frequently used ornament.

Fig. 15. The cluster

This combination of grupet-trill is whith fourth interval. This type of

strange for the folklore music in Romania. appoggiatura is frequently used in the music
Among baroque music we can only find it played on bagpipe, both in the music of
in the French baroque style. Balkan nation and in the art music from the
3. Ornaments present only at pipe- Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
players from the regions of
Odorheiu Secuiesc and Ciuc Hej búra, búra… – Mihaileni village
Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]
3.1. Appoggiatura with fourth interval
In the fourth and seventh measures from the
example in fig. 14 we find appoggiaturas

Fig. 16. Appoggiatura with fourth interval

3.2. The first appoggiatura with bigger Székely territory: appoggiaturas with fifth
interval than fourth and sixth intervals.
Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)
In measures 6 and 8 of the example in (Titkon nyílik, titkon hervad a rózsa)
fig. 17, we meet two types of rarely used Mihăileni village
appoggiaturas by the pipe-players from the Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]
I.Cs. FILIP et al.: Ornaments described by Jacques Martin Hotteterre and … 23

Fig. 17. The first appoggiatura with bigger interval than fourth

3.3. The first multiple appoggiatura is a formed from four sounds (fig. 17. measure
rarely met type of appoggiatura among the 9) and the appoggiatura formed from five
pipe-players. The examples from fig.15 sounds (fig. 18. Measure 7)
and 16 offer two variants: the appoggiatura
Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)
(Most jöttem Gyuláról)
Ineu – Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]

Fig. 18. The first multiple appoggiatura

3.4. The mordent with third and forth Lassú csárdás (Slow czardas)
interval has got a very rare usage. Here is Mihăileni village
an example: Collected by Juhász Zoltán [2]

Fig. 19. The mordent with third and forth interval

24 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VIII • Vol. 4 (53) No. 1 - 2011

4. Conclusions References

The similarities and differences in the 1. Hotteterre, J.M.: Piéces pour la flûte
ornamentation of pipe-players from traversiére et autres instruments avec
Transilvania and flute-players from France la basse, oeuvre 2, Paris, 1715, p. 3.
are due to the following aspects: 2. Juhász Z.: Furulyaiskola II,
- both types of music are „played” by Székelyföld, ed. Országos
“people’s hands” közmüvelődési Központ, Budapest,
- the instruments – baroque flute and 1989, p. 16-32.
popular-pipe – are similar in their
construction.