On Sun, 19 May 2002 20:43:27 -0700, you wrote:

>You'd think after a hundred years of writing music and copying 
>manuscripts I'd know this, but when I was asked today, and gave "my" 
>answer, it made me think:  Is this right??? Help me, o list gurus.
>
>I generally do not call a pickup measure "measure 1" but start the 
>numbering at the first full measure.  I just went through a bunch of 
>scores, but all have rehearsal numbers and no measure numbers, or the 
>few that do, by some quirk of fate, all begin on the downbeat with 
>full measures.  All my orchestration books, band scoring books, 
>notation books, etc. have no reference to this.
>
>Anyone out there have the gospel according to whomever?  Do I need to 
>call my pickup measure "measure one"?
>
>Thanks, all.
>
>Linda Worsley
>

Well, well, interesting question.  I would have thought certainly the
first full measure counts as No.1.  But I just checked about a dozen
scores, and they are divided.  Most don't count the pick-ups as a
measure.   Barenrieter and Haydn Mozart Press  Haydn, Mozart and Bach
scores don't count the pick up.  Neither does a Norton Critical score
of a Bach Cantata.  But all Bartok scores count the pick-up measure,
even if it's just an 8th note.   Universal Webern score does not count
pick-up, even when it's half a measure (Op. 5/II), and Eulenberg
Berlioz Nuits d'Ete does not count the anacruses.   Nor does the
Prelude to Tristan.  Thinking the Bartok might be a Boosey thing, I
checked Respighi's Rachmaninoff transcriptions, and, well, they all
start on the beat.    Universal:  Berio "Circles" whoops, no bar
lines.  Ah, here we go, Boosey again Holst's Planets . . . darn, all
on the beat again.    The rest of my Boosey scores, Britten,
Stravinsky, etc are no help.  And you're right, the majority use
rehearsal numbers/letters.  

Well, I wasn't much help, but I do think the majority favors NOT
counting the anacrusis.  But, is counting it a Bartok thing, or a
Boosey thing?  Now I gotta know!  I have about a thousand more scores
to go through, but I think thius sample is probably pretty
representative, especially considering the ones I didn't mention.


Ken
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