Elements of rhythmic inequality in the arias of Alessandro Scarlatti and Handel

Abstract

It seems that some arias by Alessandro Scarlatti and Han-del have passages that need to be played with rhythmic inequality. A typical case would be a slow tempo aria in C time where semiquaver dotting is already prevalent: questions arise when a motif written first in dotted semiquavers appears elsewhere without dotting. A common practice with both composers is to write all their instrumental parts with continuous dotting, while leaving their vocal parts undotted. This happens so frequently that unequal performance of voice parts in such cases becomes a serious option. This study, which treats 69 movements from 23 major works by the two composers, reveals close similarities in the way Scarlatti and Handel worked. Indeed, it appears that Handel may have borrowed some of his compositional procedures from his elder contemporary. The article prints detailed tables comparing notational and thematic features in the movements concerned, with special attention to discrepancies between the vocal and instrumental parts. The analysis is confined to movements in C and 3/8, where dotting regularly invades the semiquaver diminutions. This new information could affect our overall view of inegal performance in this period, for Italian-style music of the late Baroque is normally held to be free of inequality.