On 30.05.2003 22:43 Uhr, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote > Another interesting thing about this manuscript is that Bach very > selectively inserts additional flats or sharps on accidentals that are > repeated within lengthy and complex measures.
This is just normal 18th century practice - the rule that an accidental lasts for one measure is more recent than Bach's manuscripts. > Every edition I'd seen > has eliminated these, presumably on grounds of modern practice or > house style. It is simply a translation of old style standards into modern standards. You wouldn't expect to see a sharp sign indicating a naturalized flat in a modern edition either, would you? Yet this was standard even in Bach's manuscripts until about 1714 (the unaccompnied manuscript is 1720, by which time Bach had adopted natural signs). > That seems to me an unwarranted change to the composer's > text, since Bach apparently thought they were worth inserting. It actually has nothing to do with Bach wanting to make anything clearer. It was simply standard practice. > When > sightreading, or playing relatively unfamiliar slow movements, I too > think they're worthwhile. Is there an edition that simply reproduces > that lovely manuscript in clear print, as closely as it can be > deciphered, right down to omitting the last flat in minor key > signatures? This detail of "Dorian" key signatures is reproduced in several editions (eg Henle). The extra accidentals are not reproduced in any edition I know of, but I wouldn't expect to see them either (if you would consider this necessary almost any modern edition of 18th century music would have to be changed - standard practice is to translate these notational standard's differences into modern practice even in the strictest Urtext). What does the old Bach Gesamtausgabe do? > *That* would be an "Urtext"! (I suppose I could sit down > to Finale and make my own, given a week or more of free time...) Making a real Urtext of the Bach unaccompanied is probably a good test for any notation programme, but a rather time consuming one as well. BTW, if you read German and are interested I could send you an article about the Bach unaccompanied I wrote 6 years ago. It deals mainly with the direct history of the set, not so much with notational details. Greetings Johannes -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
