Suzanne J. Beicken is Lecturer in Historical Musicology at the University of Maryland and is also a performer, concert manager and music administrator. She is founder of the award-winning Maryland Boys Choir.

• Acknowledgments; Translator's introduction and commentary; Treatise on Vocal Performance and Ornamentation: Preface; Dedication; 1. On the qualities of the human voice and its improvement; 2. On good performance and how to use the voice; 3. On good performance, with regard to text and music; 4. On good performance, with regard to ornaments; 5. On good performance, with regard to Passaggi; 6. On good performance, with regard to the various genres of vocal forms and in consideration of performing in various places; 7. On Cadenzas; 8. On arbitrary variations of the Aria; Appendix: biographical information on singers and composers mentioned by Hiller; Bibliography.

'In Suzanne Beicken's excellent translation Hiller comes across as eminently readable, with a dry sense of humour, and palpably eager to get his ideas across to a broad readership that includes not only the professional but also the keen amateur.' The Singer