Trillend

Trillend is a musical ornament used in contemporary performance practice to describe a specific ending of a trill-like figure. It consists of a rapid alternation between a written note and its upper neighbor for two to five cycles, terminating with a short, decisive glide back to the principal pitch or an abrupt closure that resembles a mordent. The ending distinguishes trillend from a plain trill or a standard mordent, creating a perceptible cadence-like effect.

Notation and interpretation vary. The ornament is not universally standardized; editors may mark it with a traditional trill symbol accompanied by an explicit ending indication, or they may use a brief ending figure noted nearby. Performers adapt the timing of the ending to the musical context, often aligning it with cadential rhythms.

Performance practice and repertoire. Trillend appears more frequently in modern scores and in attempts to recreate historical styles with contemporary expressivity. String players realize it through rapid shifts and bow changes that emphasize the ending, while wind and brass players execute it via agile fingering and precise articulation to achieve the terminating gesture.

Origins. The term trillend was coined in the early 21st century by scholars examining ornament typologies and has since appeared in several theoretical discussions and modern compositions. Its use remains localized to certain contemporary circles rather than a fixed historical convention.

Relation to other ornaments. Trillend is related to trills, mordents, and cadential trills but is distinguished by its intentional terminating gesture, which gives it a cadence-like character.

See also: Mordent, trill, cadential trill, turn.