At 6:23 PM 06/01/03, Darcy James Argue wrote: >My question is, what score order would you choose for this ensemble? >The above order would be (I believe) the standard orchestral order, but >-- call me biassed, but it looks odd to me to have the percussion at >the top like that. I think my instinct would be to put the boy soprano >and chorus at the top instead. > >Comments?
I'm no expert on score order, and for a lot of cases I don't even know the correct "rules" without looking them up in a book. On the other hand, as an ordinary musician (singer and choral director) who has looked at a lot of full scores of choral works, I would find it very strange to find the solo singer and chorus on the top. When looking for vocal parts in a full score, I always look down low and expect to find them right above the strings. If I were to encounter your score, my reaction would be "Hmm, that's weird. I wonder why the voices are on top?" Once I got past the initial surprise, I don't think it would confuse me any longer, so from my point of view I don't think there's any significant harm in putting the voices on top, but I still wonder what the gain is. Another poster mentioned that since the vocal performers are most likely to require the conductor's attention, they should be placed most prominently, ie, at the top. But I wonder if the top really is most prominent. Is that really where a conductor is going to look for them? I wouldn't. All of this is assuming we're talking about a full score. If it's a reduced score that the singers are going to read from, then I agree the voices should be on top, and below them should be something resembling a piano reduction. In that case there may be another staff or two along with the piano accompaniment -- above or below it as appropriate -- but certainly not the whole orchestra spelled out. (This model describes both the choral scores Noel detailed.) For what it's worth, my usual experience as choral director is to prepare the chorus in rehearsal and then hand them over to the conductor for performance. Typically I'll always have the reduction (ie, whatever the singers and accompanist are using) on my stand and use the full score only for reference. I don't know that I've ever conducted anything from a full score, though I've occasionally played piano accompaniment from one. [Darcy again, later:] >First off, thanks everyone on the score order stuff. Please still let >me know if you think the order I decided on >[chorus/harp/piano/timp/perc/strings] is nuts... I may have second, >third, fourth thoughts on this... I wouldn't go so far as to call it nuts, but it does seem strange and pointless to me. I really don't see what the problem is with what you suggested. I don't know what order percussion is supposed to go within its own section, but the general scheme of percussion on top, voices in the middle, and strings on the bottom seems perfectly normal to me. Can you explain again what your objection to the "correct" order is? Reviewing the discussion, I get the message that it bothers you, but I still don't understand why. mdl _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
