NOTATIO

Yes, it would be almost essential to have the composer's MS, Peter; I hope that it is available. Written communications between composer and copyist would also be helpful.

I think that the multi-staff layout helps the player grasp the concept behind the notes, which is more important in this case than apparent ease of reading; and anyone learning this will soon grow accustomed to the style.

Your layout is not too tight in itself, but the music is so dense that I found the spreading in the original helpful in reading it, and I usually hate spreading. So I think that you are in a no-win situation. But taking all things into consideration, I think that you are making the right decision regarding the page count vs. layout.

Thanks.

(apologies for my hasty typing errors previously!)

Evryali finished. just need to check it and make a few corrections for 1st proof. Start on Mists on Monday.

here we go...

Peter West wrote:here we go...

What's the meaning of those arrows with eights on them? A special kind of octave indication?
Edit: I guess it goes without saying. Is this a standard way of writing such indications when they are frequent? Can't say I've seen them before.

This is how Xenakis wrote them in this piece. I have not been given instructions to standardise them, but I will do if I am so instructed.

GREAT!!!! not only does the ms edition I'm working from have errors in the tuplet definitions, so I need to go through the whole thing and re-calculate them, but now my Finale file has corrupted, mirroring bar 18,19, 20 layer 2 into bar 5 layer 2. If I delete bar 5 I loose bars 18-19, and vice versa. I tried deleting the bars completely, re-inserting bars and re-creating the music (which is no 5 minute job), all to no avail.

I now have 3 copies of the file: Page 1 only, page 2 only, page 3+

Not ideal, but with this piece I really don't want to start again!

Peter, I am so sorry. Does file corruption happen frequently with very complex music? I have never had a Finale file corrupt.

Those octave signs look very architectural to me. The composer was also an architect. If I were the editor, I would have a terrible time trying to decide whether to standardize them. As a player, they bother me a little, but they do cut down on clutter in a very cluttered score.

The metronome marking is also unique. But what does it mean? Any tempo above 48 manageable by the player?

The tempo marking means slow, but if it gets below 48 it'll be too slow, I think. I don't think it means as fast as possible with 48 as a minimum guide. (I know, that's not what you said).

I have had about 3 file corruptions in 26 years of using Finale. It's not necessarily related to complex music, per se, but it always 9for me) seems to happen when music extends beyond the barline. It's not frequent enough to make any meaningful assessment.

The octaves are a bit strange. I prefer the ones he used in Evryali, but let's see what the editor says. I think in some ways it's good to retain all aspects of a composer's thinking about the music and the notation, as long as it's practical. I think this is perfectly clear. I'm more concerned about inconsistencies within the publication, but as these pieces were written over a lifetime, it may be considered fine.

Thank you, Peter. I am glad to hear that about Finale, because I dread the day that it happens to me.

I think that it would have been better if he had given a tempo range with 48 at the low end.

However, I think you are right not to change anything that is not an actual error. It is all of one "piece": an engineering work that should look like one. And then there is that grad student writing his dissertation of Xenakis' notational practices...