This thesis examines the art and the historical practice of embellishments with a special focus on two distinct sarabandes: one from J. S. Bach’s English Suite No.6 in D minor, BWV 811, another from G. F. Handel’s Suite in D minor, HWV 437. This essay draws upon performance practice treatises and materials from our own time that provide substantial understanding of the execution and creation of the ornaments. The research of the following sources brings additional insight into the topic: the autograph of Handel's own ornamentation of Teofane’s arias from Ottone, the embellished versions by different interpreters of that time of the first movement of Arcangelo Corelli’s op. 5 no. 9, Bach's transcriptions for keyboard of music by his contemporaries, and Bach’s own embellished versions of his sarabandes from the second and third English Suites, BWV 807 and BWV 808, respectively.

The origins of the sarabande and its characteristics in the works of J. S. Bach and Handel are explored in a separate chapter. Another section of the thesis describes the specific ornaments as well as illustrates free ornamentation to understand the myriad possibilities in embellishing a musical text. The last chapters analyse contemporary recordings of the sarabandes discussed in this essay, adding a further perspective on how one might go about embellishing these dances. As the author hopes that this paper may serve as a practical and informative performance guide for keyboard players interested in the art of embellishment, this study culminates with the author’s personal approach to ornamentation when interpreting the sarabandes here discussed — embellished editions are published in the concluding chapters.