The Short

The extensively annotated pieces in Corri's Select Collection imply that the‘leaping grace’ may have been more extensively
used in the eighteenth century than the ‘anticipation grace’ the latter occurs relatively seldom in these pieces, while the
former is very frequently encountered. Corri's later publications, however, reverse this situation, suggesting, perhaps,
that at the beginning of the nineteenth century the popularity of the ‘leaping grace’ was already diminishing in favour
of the ‘anticipation grace’. This is borne out by the expressed preferences of later writers. Vaccai in around 1832
described and illustrated these two forms of portamento in his Metodo pratico di canto italiano per camera (Ex. 15.9;) he
observed of the ‘leaping grace’, which he called portamento ‘by posticipation’, that ‘This style is less usual than the
first’. 1113 Manuel García's treatise supports the notion that the ‘anticipation grace’ grew greatly in favour at the expense
of the ‘leaping grace’ during the nineteenth century, at least in the opinion of the cognoscenti, to the extent that by the
middle of the century the latter, though still used, had come to be regarded as being in dubious taste.García instructed:
‘A slur placed between two notes, each having its syllable, is executed by carrying up the voice with the syllable of the
first note; and not, as is frequently done with the syllable of the second. The second note ought to be heard
twice—once on the first syllable, and again on its own—the passage [Ex. 15.10] will be correct as shown in A, and
incorrect as shown in B.’ 1114 García gave another example to illustrate how ‘Some singers, either from negligence or
want of taste, slur the voice endlessly, either before or after notes’ 1115 this shows the types of ‘leaping grace’ approved of
by Corri, though obviously used to excess in this instance (Ex. 15.11.) Despite the disapproval of some
nineteenthcentury
Ex. 15.9.Vaccai, Metodo pratico, lesson xiii
1113
Lesson xiii.
1114
New Treatise, 53.
1115 Ibid.
PORTAMENTO 569