Trill

August 6, 2007 at 01:00 PM · Hi, Trill "rules" roughly follow the time period the composer lived/composed in. Baroque trills usually start above and finish on. Mozart trills start on and finish on. Always trill within the key. For example, in the key of D, an F# trill goes between F# and G, but in the key of A, an F# trill goes between F# and G#. Watch and listen to the finger that does the bouncing to make sure it stays on the proper pitch, doesn't creep sharp or flat. Many people like a trill that starts on the slow side and gets faster, especially when at a phrase ending.

August 6, 2007 at 08:13 PM · Hi Lauren,

In contrast to Sue, I play most of the trills in Mozart from the upper note. I do this in the cadences because it adds more harmonic tension (the upper note doesn't belong to the chord and wants to resolve down), and a cadential trill is as much a harmonic as melodic ornament. With non-cadential trills (melodic ornaments), I play them from the note unless I'm coming from the same note (before the trill, like in m. 102) or from a third above.

I think Mozart was in between the rules of thumb: most 18th century baroque playing is from the note above because these were harmonic ornaments, and from Beethoven on, you see a real change to trills on the notes, or written in appogiaturas beforehand.

Now go ahead - express your dissent!

August 6, 2007 at 09:47 PM · I recently heard Viktoria Mullova's Mozart CD and she played trill from upper notes, almost Vivaldi like. Most beautiful performance it is!

August 6, 2007 at 09:43 PM · I personally feel there is no "specific rule" as how to interpret trills in the Mozart Violin Concerto No.4. When I had a master class with Midori a few years ago in this same concerto, I asked her the same question about trills. It was nice that she and I agreed that whatever I choose, make sure it is "in synch" with the orchestra. Because nothing would look or sound strange to the audience if you're doing a series of trills from bottom up when orchestra is doing from top down.

I tend to think of a concerto as an "expanded" chamber music and yes there should be moments of a soloist shining through, but also moments of good synchronization. It's a "teamwork".

So to make your issue a less complicated one, decide on a approach. Then when working with an orchestra or pianist, make sure you communicate these details to them so all of you are on the same page.

August 6, 2007 at 11:54 PM · I do the upper note in Mozart. Only because I like the sound. I do the upper in some Spohr, too, but definately from the note when I play Beethoven.