Roulade (music)

Aroulade(fromOld Frenchroler, "to roll") is a type ofmusic ornamentation.The term has been used with some variation in meaning.While the term has had some usage ininstrumental music, it is most frequently used in the context ofvocal musicto refer to afloridembellishment of severalmusical notessung on a singlesyllable. The word has sometimes been used interchangeably with the termcoloraturato refer to any difficult vocalrunrequiring great vocaldexterity,or as asynonymfor or a specific type of virtuosicmelisma.The term roulade has also been used more specifically to refer to the ornamental practice of splitting up the melodic line of a piece of music into many smaller notes.
The term roulade has sometimes been defined as a vocal ornamental passage specifically limited toopera ariasof theClassicalandRomanticmusic periods. However, this limited definition is contradicted in the historical record, and other writers have used the term in contexts to other forms of music, such asoratorio,gospel music, androck and roll.
The term roulade has been used with variation in meaning.It has sometimes been defined as a vocal ornamental passage specifically limited toopera ariasof theClassicalandRomanticmusic periods; including in musicologistTheodore Cyrus Karp'sDictionary of Music(1983).However, this limited definition does not match the historical use of the term.
The first published use of the word roulade in a music context was inElizabeth Burwell'sBurwell Lute Tutor(c1660–72); an instructional guide for thelute.In that work a 'single roulade' referred to a shortappoggiatura, first ascending and then descending, applied on the beat to conjunct notes or notes a 3rd scale degree apart; and a 'double roulade' referred to a  slide or double backfall descending the interval of a 3rd into the main note.Some writers later used the term roulade in reference to florid ornamental passages for woodwinds withinoratorios.
Invocal musica roulade is an elaborate embellishment of severalnotessung to onesyllable.The writer James Grassineau in his 1740 publicationA Musical Dictionarydefined the roulade as a "trilling or quavering", and "the act of trilling or shaking, or running a division with a voice".The 19th century Spanish music theoristJosé Joaquín de Virués y Spínolawrote that, "TheRouladeis a smooth but rapid course of notes interspersed into the course of anairwithout breaking the time or disturbing the subject matter of the composition."
Inopera, the term roulade has become closely associated withcoloraturavocal ornamentation; and the terms have been used synonymously with one another to refer to any difficultrunrequiring great vocal dexterity. The term roulade has also been used more specifically to refer to the ornamental practice of splitting up the melodic line of a piece of music into many smaller notes.It has also been defined as a specific type ofmelismathat is virtuosic in character.ComposerJean-Jacques Rousseauexpressed his opinion that the roulade was useful for its dramatic impact within thearia parlante; a declamatory aria known for emotive passion.Rousseau wrote:
While mainly used in the context of opera arias, the term roulade has also been applied by some writers to melismas inchoral music. Some sources have defined a melisma as a type of roulade or as synonymous with a roulade.In D. E. Hervey's 1894 essay,Handel in the Nineteenth Century, he wrote of the melismas extent in Handel'sMessiah:
Aside from classical music, the term roulade has been applied to other genres includinggospel musicandrock and roll. Operatic roulades have been utilized by some gospel singers in a blending of styles.Jerry Garcia's vocals in the rock bandGrateful Dead's "Black Peter" has been described as containing roulades.A line in theSteely Dantrack, Your Gold Teeth, remarks, "EvenCathy Berberianknows there's one roulade she can't sing"