This volume investigates the historical performance practice of ornamentation in Baroque vocal music through the specific lens of three arias by George Frideric Handel. The editor, Winton Dean, utilizes a primary source manuscript held in the Bodleian Library to reconstruct how Handel intended these pieces to be embellished. By analyzing the transposition and ornamentation found in the hand of J. C. Smith and the composer himself, the book provides a scholarly framework for understanding vocal improvisation in the 18th century.

Musicologists and performers regard this edition as a vital resource for authentic Baroque interpretation. Experts highlight the scholarly rigor of Winton Dean's editing, noting that it serves as a foundational text for those studying Handel's vocal ornamentation techniques.