I must say this has been an illuminating debate with, unfortunately, more
differing opinions than concensus.
Back up a step and consider a slightly different case: a section in common
time followed by one in cut time. (Or, if you prefer, tempus imperfectum
followed by tempus imperfectum diminutum.) The very clear meaning is that
the note values decrease by half. I can't see any situation in which this
would not apply, unless instructions to the contrary are present.
Since in all practical ways 4/4 is equivalent to C, and 2/2 is equivalent
to cut time, I would always assume the same relationship applies. After
all, if there is no intended change in note values, there is no point in
changing to 2/2 time! ("Keep the quarter equal" is, of course, the copout
employed by all brass quintets who have no clue about sesquialtera
proportion in Renaissance and early Baroque music!)
The other suggestions have been very good and very practical. Clearly a
section in 4/4 would keep the same pulse if it changes to 12/8, unless
marked otherwise. And clearly a measure by measure change of signature
(i.e. 4/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/4, 5/4, 4/4) would indicate that something, normally
the quarter, remains the same. (The 8th or 16th in Stravinsky, of course.)
But it all comes back to making the music LOOK the way you want it to
SOUND. I never want to leave the conductor or the musician in an ambiguous
situation when it can be made clear.
(Just finished playing an all-Brahms concert. Many, many tempo and time
signature changes, with all the expected duple-against-triple overlays, but
never any question about his intent.)
John
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:John.Howell@;vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
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