o.
Berlioz recollected having heard at the opera in his youth a much more
animated execution of these works.

Finally, in ancient times notes were not defined as they are to-day and
their value was approximative only. This liberty in the execution of
music is particularly perceptible in the works of Rameau. To conform to
his intentions in the vocal part such music must not be interpreted
literally. One must be governed by the declamation, and not by the
written note indicating a long or short duration. The proof of this is
to be seen when the violins and the voice are in unison--the way of
writing them is different.

A great obstacle to executing ancient works from the eighteenth century
on is in the interpretation of grace notes, "appoggiaturas" and others.
In these cases there is an unfortunate habit in players of conforming to
their own taste, which may guide a little, but cannot suffice in every
instance. One can be convinced of this in studying The Method of Violin
by the father of Mozart. We find there things which one would never
dream of.

The "appoggiatura"[4] (from _appoggiare_, which in Italian means "to
lean upon"), should always be long, the different ways in which it may
be written having no influence upon its length. There is an exception to
this when its final little note, ascending or descending, and preceding
the larger note, is distant from it a disjointed degree. In this case it
is not an "appoggiatura," and should be played short. In many cases
it prolongs the duration of the note which follows it. It may even alter
the value of the notes following.

I will cite in connection with the subject of the "appoggiatura" the
beautiful duo with chorus of the "Passion According to St. Matthew," and
at the same time, I would point out the error committed in making of
this passion a most grandios performance with grand choral and
instrumental masses. One is deceived by its noble character, by its two
choruses, by its two orchestras, and one forgets that it was destined
for the little Church of St. Thomas in Leipsig, where Sebastian Bach was
organist. While in certain cantatas that composer employed horns,
trumpets, trombones and cymbals, for the "Passion According to St.
Matthew," he only used in each of the orchestras two flutes, two
hautbois, changing from the ordinary hautbois to the hautbois d'amour
and the hautbois of the chase,--now the English horn; that is to say,
hautbois pitched a third and a fi