On 17 Apr 2010 at 15:30, Ryan wrote: > Where is it necessary to place the dynamics when writing for organ?
There is simply no cut-and-dried answer to this question. Each manual and pedal could have a different registration and thus, different dynamics. A single staff in the score could indicate any manual. If the organ has a swell division, the dynamics (including crescendo and diminuendo) would apply only to the stops inside the swell box. It's up to the composer to specify the desired stops (in general) and desired dynamics where they are not implied. To write "Full Organ" and "pianissimo" is going to puzzle most people. The dynamic marking is probably irrelevant in that case, in any event. If both staves are the same manual (or coupled), then, sure, a single dynamic mark between staves would suffice. If they are playing different stops, I'd suggest that unless the registration is very specific, a dynamic mark be provided for each staff (if necessary at all, of course -- depends on how specific the registration instructions are). Pedal is separate, though it can be coupled to the manuals and be playing the same stops as those on the manuals. > The manuscript I'm working from isn't consistent in the placement of > dynamics. Seems to me that's likely normal. > It also doesn't specify individual stops to use (for > example, a trumpet stop that would naturally sound louder than a flute > stop), so can one dynamic marking placed in between the top two staves > suffice? Would the performer know that the dynamic also applied to the > pedals? Does it apply to the pedals? There's really not enough information to answer the question. > Are the pedals capable of playing at a different dynamic level > than the manuals? Naturally -- the pedal division has its own pipes, completely separate from those of the manuals (though certainly the ranks might be used on more than one manual, and the pedals can be coupled to the manuals). But all of that depends on the style of organ. A 1937 Moeller is going to be very different from a 1976 Flentrop. The composer's job is to provide enough information about what's intended musically so that the performer can decide how to achieve the desired effect on a particular instrument. > I suppose that each organ is built differently, so > it would be nearly impossible to prepare for every performance > situation. If the composer is an organist, I would put the dynamics exactly where the composer put them. If not an organist, maybe not, but only if there's something nonsensical (e.g., different dynamics within one manual, unless, of course, it's intended for a Wurlitzer theater organ...). In other words, unless you really understand the instrument and see something nonsensical, just engrave what's in the MS. Chances are good that it will be sufficient for any decent musician to understand what's desired. Remember that organists are accustomed to playing music with absolutely no dynamic marks in it and have no trouble whatsoever figuring out from the scores what dynamics are appropriate. -- David W. Fenton http://dfenton.com David Fenton Associates http://dfenton.com/DFA/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
