What's the purpose of appoggiaturas?

[Daniel_piano]

Appogiaturas are driving me crazy
Not only because it's a mess when you see them on the score, despite being elegant, they're so tiny an invisible that they play havoc with my eyesight, but also because I'm realizing they're kind of useless

So what the difference between:



and



Why not writing the complete rhythm like in the second example?
It would a lot more easier and meaningfull
Is there a reason why appoggiaturas have been invented?
What the purpose is?
They not ornaments, they don't ornaments anything they completely change he rhythm...

Daniel

[xvimbi]

I don't know much about the history of appogiaturas, other than that they are small melodic formulas. They are extraneous to the melody and the harmony, and that's indicated by the funny way they are written.

However, the way you have written in it your example does not have to be the "correct" way. Sometimes, grace notes take on half the value of the following note, sometimes a third, sometimes two-thirds. The rules change somewhat between composer/eras. One could argue that the composer should have written it out the way s/he wanted (and this is often done, see below). However, because of their variable meaning, grace notes introduce a level of freedom for the interpretation by a performer. Such freedom would not be given if it was written out.

Most often, appogiaturas are indeed written out, particularly in more modern works. This makes them sometimes hard to detect. Note that, if you would see the "written-out" version of your example, the A could still be considered an appogiatura. In fact, often, a note that is followed by the note a scale degree lower is an appogiatura, although it is not written like a grace note, but it does fulfill the same function. This leads us to a discussion about passing notes.

[Daniel_piano]

However, the way you have written in it your example does not have to be the "correct" way. Sometimes, grace notes take on half the value of the following note, sometimes a third, sometimes two-thirds.

But when they take two-thirds of the following notes aren't they acciacaturas/slashed-notes instead of appoggiaturas


Thanks for your answer
Daniel

[pianiststrongbad]

I think the appogiatura is useful because it allows us to see what the melody know is and what is just ornamentation.  For instance, in the Mozart Sonatas, take the famous second movement of the sonata in F major (k. 332), the autograph has a lot of extra ornamentation, but it is all written in small notes (if i remember correctly), and the other version just has the simple melody.  If you take out the small notes in the autograph you get the same melody as the other copy (I think- it has been a while since I have looked at this).  As xvimbi pointed out, the appogiatura doesn't necessarily have to take a certain amount of time.  It can be shortened or lengthened.  I think that is also useful.  One can also put more emphasis on it if desired.  I think it is nice that composers wrote things like your example 1 rather than example 2.  I think it lets us know where the emphasis should be.

[xvimbi]

A general rule is that if the note following a grace note is an even note, the appogiatura receives its face value, i.e. half of the following note. If the following note is a dotted note, the appogiatura is usually two-thirds of that note. If the next note is of the same pitch as the principal note of the appogiatura, the grace note receives the entire value of the principal note, but is carried to the next note with a strong portamento. (It's good to have a music dictionary...)

Acciaccaturas are very short grace notes.

[mosis]

I have been wondering the same thing. It seems so useless.

[timothy42b]

You have made a very good point.

You do need to know the purpose of any ornament, or indeed of anything else.  Otherwise, how can you properly do any interpretation or expression?

I don't know much about piano ornaments.  One thing to remember though is that some of this music may have been written for instruments that could not sustain notes or change volume.  E.g., early harpischords and clavichords. 

If you couldn't sustain a note, the only way to play a whole note against another figure might be to write a trill.  If you can't play a note loudly, the only way to emphasize it might be to use an appogiatura or acciatura.  Or mordent or gruppetto, etc. 

[bernhard]

As xvimbi said, appoggiatura realisation changes in different periods and in different geographical areas.

However this is the main reason for an appoggiatura: It creates a dissonance that is resolved in the main note. As such they are expressive tools. In general upper appoggiaturas (the appoggiatura repeats the note preceding and descends in the main note) are thought to resemble a human sigh, and lower appoggiaturas (the appoggiatura repeats the note preceding the main note and ascends to it) intensify the tension of the dissonance. If you play the passage you posted with and without the appoggiatura against the accompaniment, the above will be obvious.

Why not write the whole thing? Here is what Leopold Mozart (Wolfgang’s dad) had to say in answer to your question:

It is true that all descending appoggiaturas could be set down in large print and divided within the bar. But if a violinist who knows not that the appoggiatura is written out, or who is already accustomed to befrill every note happens on such, how will it fare with melody, as well as harmony? I wager that such a violinist will add yet another long appoggiatura”

(Leopold Mozart – Treatise on the fundamental principles of violin playing – Oxford University Press)

At a time when improvising ornaments was the rule, it was necessary to write the down the appoggiatura, well, as an appoggiatura!

Also, the note being in small print was very helpful to the performer, since it showed clearly the harmonic set-up: which note was part of the harmony (the main note) and which note was introduced solely to create a dissonance (the appoggiatura). If the two notes were written equally (as you did in your second score) the second note may be mistaken for a passing note, even though it is the main note.

(By the way, there is a short appoggiatura, and a long appoggiatura: the long appoggiatura takes ½ the value of the main note, unless the main note is dotted, in which case it takes 2/3 of the main note’s value).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[BoliverAllmon]

I think you were mixed up bernhard. You described suspensions and retardations. Appoggiaturas are lept into and stepped out. You can look at the example given and see that. The idea behind it and the interpretation of it is correct though.

boliver