NOTATIO

David Ward wrote: ↑21 Mar 2024, 17:02 I wonder how it is pronounced in the USA?

In the USA it is often pronounced like "ado". But sometimes with the French pronunciation (or an approximation thereof.)

Perhaps this thread should have the subtitle: "Much ado about adieu".

Look it up in a good English dictionary. If it is there, it is part of standard English. If not, check online. It may have entered the language recently. If not, italicize it the first time it occurs in text. As lyrics in a song, I wouldn't, but I am not sure what is considered correct.

Foreign words that have become part of the English language are not italicized. "Adieu" would be one of those, as in, "I bid you a fond adieu".

Here's another one from around the same time as the first one. At its best, Beethoven's musical handwritings has a kind of freedom, lightness, clarity and logic about it that reminds one of his music:

This example from the first movement of the "Appassionata" shows the same characteristics as in the previous threads on this subject. He must keep the prevailing stem direction and a beam break would imply too great a break: Beethoven op 57.1 c MS.png Beethoven op 57.1 MS.png The engraver ...

Here are examples of Beethoven's later musical handwriting at its best and worst: op 79.2.png Op 101.4.png In the second example, he takes the time to spell out every note for the engraver at the bottom of the page because of the novelty of the low E, a new addition to the piano, and his awareness o...

Crowding did occasionally play a role in his stem direction decisions in the manuscripts, and one has to watch for that. Spatial considerations are much more apparent in the first editions, however. The engravers seem to be trying to get as much on the page as possible. (While still providing better...

I see. Thanks, hautbois baryton.

It's strange all right and impossible to engrave. But taking note of it can be helpful regarding interpretation. In this case, it is difficult to maintain a consistent flow and good tonal control from the chord at A to the following note at B because of fingering issues. Maybe we should make a break...

Thanks again, David. Gould considers p sub. to be standard and that has always been my impression. This came up on the Dorico forum. https://forums.steinberg.net/t/custom-dynamics/901923 But I wonder when composers started adding the subito. I don't think it was used in the days of subito-maestro Lu...