Adding, hu geeb uh fahk? Expletives deleted, isn't it time we moved beyond the egotistical false pride of insisting that expressions be in Italian? Or that dynamics be in abbreviated Italian with extended greater than or less than signs?
This is not an attack on the Italians or on time-honored traditional practices. If German or French composers wish to notate in their native languages for native players, why not? The purpose of notation is to communicate as directly and to make the music as easily performable as possible for the players. If most of the players speak English, why not use English for expressions and dynamics? The international language is now English, for better or worse. There is nothing wrong with loud, louder, loudest or soft, softer, softest on the page with an expression like "birds chirping in the distance." Visual text and notation can be very helpful. I'm not advocating music notation as post-modern art as much avant garde music does but there are easy and difficult ways to notate. there are notation methods that keep the page clear and readable and others that leave it cluttered. For example, you can notate a piano part with ties between a measure of eighth notes indicating to hold the notes down or you can use the largest note values possible and use a pedal marking with a text "hold down notes." The choice should be to communicate the music clearly to the players so that they can communicate the music to the listeners. -- http://www.fastmail.fm - mmm... Fastmail... _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
