From: Christopher Smith> I have a feeling I am somewhat misunderstanding this, but if two is > sharing the stem, how can you tell if the note is not solo?
I think most people would default to thinking that they are unison...
never assume this, the composer might not have added it nor noticed it missing from the score, or might even think it is completely clear, and what the composer thinks is clear after working for 3 months straight on the piece... actually what the composer thinks is clear at any time during the composition of the piece can sometimes be questionable. but that's a whole 'nother discussion...
Well, to speak just to the practical rather than the philosophical, I would have to disagree. Granted, every situation has to be evaluated individually, but as both an orchestral (string--lots of divisi) and band (Eb tuba, so I prefer to take the upper octave--very little true divisi) player I would agree with Christopher that the default assumption we would ALL make is that when a divisi ends, what follows is unison. Belaboring the obvious by adding "unison" simply clutters the page, especially when numerous switches between unison and divisi take place. If it were NOT intended to be unison, I would expect to find an instruction: "solo," "1 solo," "2 players only," "1 stand only," or something similar. THAT is necessary; "unison," in most cases, is not.
I should also point out that even when the composer's intentions are absolutely clear (whether to divide or not), string players will not always follow them, and conductors will not always insist on them. There are lots of default behaviors involved in orchestral playing, and composers need to understand those defaults. And in band writing, too many composers assume that all tubas will be BBb (John Williams, for one), and that isn't true. When I run out of low notes and don't want to use the false half-wavelength fingerings, I make up my own upper octave part. I have to. A band composer needs to understand all the permutations that may show up in any section (like writing for true cornets when the parts will most likely be played on trumpets).
I believe that Andrew agrees with you, and not with me, on this point, but I prefer to judge each instance on its own merits.
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:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
