Mordents on Bach Minuet

[stormx]

Hi !!

I am dealing with mordents in the Bach-Petzold Minuet in G.

Should those mordents be played ON THE BEAT (that is, "stealing" from the note that has the mordent), or should they be played BEFORE THE BEAT (that is, "stealing" from the previous note).

Thanks,

[pseudopianist]

I'm quite sure it is right on the beat.

[IanT]

I'd vote for on the beat.  As I understand it, the original purpose of short ornaments (such as mordents) is to create a discord with the bass note so that the melody note doesn't get lost in the harmonics of the bass note.   This is mainly a problem with harpsichord and organ where the melody can't be accentuated in any other way, but it's usually respected on the piano too.

In later periods (particularly romantic) people did start inserting ornaments before the beat, but by this time it was a matter of style rather than necessity.

Ian