(Ger., from beben: ‘to tremble’; Fr. balancement).
(1) A vibrato obtained on the clavichord by alternately increasing and decreasing the pressure of the finger on the key. The effect is described by a number of mid-18th-century writers, notably Mattheson (‘tremolo’), F.W. Marpurg and C.P.E. Bach. Bach (1753) wrote that it should be used on long affettuoso notes, and added (in the 1787 edition) that the vibrato should be delayed until the second half of the note. Bebung is indicated by a slur and dots over the note to which it is to be applied (as in ex.1) and Marpurg (1755, 2/1765) suggested that the number of dots indicates the number of pulses one should employ, although this is difficult to accept and there is no mention of this point in either his Die Kunst das Clavier zu spielen (1762) or the French translation of the Anleitung (1756).
Although Bebung is possible on clavichords of the 16th and 17th centuries, the 18th-century writings suggest that the effect was then new and that its use was confined to long notes and pieces of a tragic character.
(2) Generic term used in Germany during the 18th century to denote a vibrato on a single note; it is synonymous with Schwebung. It was first mentioned by E.G. Baron (1727) as an ornament used in lute playing, and was common from at least 1750. It is mentioned in connection with singing and clavichord playing (Marpurg, 1750, Agricola, Hiller and Lasser), violin playing (Quantz, Mozart (as synonym of Tremolo), Petri and Löhlein), flute playing (Quantz, Tromlitz) and trumpet playing (Altenburg). It was to be used occasionally, according to the character of the piece. The Bebung was indicated in clavichord music and also in Altenburg's trumpet tutor by slurred dots (see above); Baron used a double cross and, on the lower strings only, a single slanting cross (X and X) (see Lute, §6). Other sources merely describe the use of the ornament. During the latter half of the 18th century there was a strong tendency towards the use of vibrato on most long notes, although this was not advocated by all theorists.
See also Vibrato and Ornaments, §8.
E.G. Baron: Historisch-theoretisch und practische Untersuchung des Instruments der Lauten (Nuremberg, 1727/R; Eng. trans., 1976, as Study of the Lute)
J. Mattheson: Der vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739/R)
F.W. Marpurg: Die Kunst das Clavier zu spielen (Berlin, 1750, enlarged 4/1762/R; Fr. trans., 1756, as Principes du clavecin, 2/1760)
J.J. Quantz: Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversière zu spielen (Berlin, 1752, 3/1789/R; Eng. trans., 1966, as On Playing the Flute)
C.P.E. Bach: Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, i (Berlin, 1753/R, 2/1787; Eng. trans., 1949)
F.W. Marpurg: Anleitung zum Clavierspielen (Berlin, 1755, 2/1765/R)
L. Mozart: Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule (Augsburg, 1756/R, enlarged 3/1787/R, 4/1800; Eng. trans., 1934, 2/1951)
J.F. Agricola: Anleitung zur Singekunst (Berlin, 1757/R)
J.S. Petri: Anleitung zur practischen Musik (Lauban, 1767, enlarged 2/1782/R)
G.S. Löhlein: Anweisung zum Violinspielen (Leipzig, 1774)
J.A. Hiller: Anweisung zum musikalisch-zierlichen Gesange (Leipzig, 1780)
J.G. Tromlitz: Ausführlicher und gründlicher Unterricht die Flüte zu spielen (Leipzig, 1791/R; Eng. trans., ed. A. Powell, 1991, as The Virtuoso Flute Player
J.E. Altenburg: Versuch einer Anleitung zur heroish-musikalischen Trompeter- und Pauker-Kunst(Halle, 1795/R; Eng. trans., 1974)
J.B. Lasser: Vollständige Anleitung zur Singkunst (Munich, 1798)
EDWIN M. RIPIN/G. MOENS-HAENEN