That's all very well, but if you look at modern (European) editions of Early music using such long measures you will find that the more authorative ones all use double whole rests in longer measures than 2/2. As I said, I am not entirely sure about 3/2, perhaps a single whole rest is correct here (I couldn't find an example quickly).
To pick just one random example take Bärenreiter's edition of Bach's B minor Mass, eg Kyrie II or Dona nobis. Gardner Read is simply making this up in my opinion. I have not seen a single authorative edition where a 4/2 measure has a single whole rest. To add my own opinion, a single whole rest in a 4/2 measure simply looks wrong. Johannes On 04.01.2004 23:14 Uhr, David H. Bailey wrote > Gardner Read, in Music Notation -- A Manual of Modern Practice, at the > bottom of p. 97, continuing on the top of p. 98: > > "Although the whole rest literally signifies only the value of a whole > note (or of two half-notes combines), it now commonly serves as the > symbol for any completely silent measure, regardless of the meter or > time signature (see chapter 10). Formerly, it served for all measure > values except 4/2, this rest being indicated by a sign borrowed from the > breve symbol of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century music (see page 15). > But today the whole rest stands for any empty measure -- for all > meters from a theoretical 8/2 to a 3/16. For a 2/16 (1/8) or smaller > silent bar, an actual 8th (or smaller) rest would be used." > > Ted Ross says basically the same thing, bottom of page 173, although he > still holds with what Garner Read refers to as "formerly" so that Ross > says a 4/2 measure would use the breve rest. > > Kurt Stone says basically the same thing on pages 135-136 of Music > Notation in the Twentieth Century. > > So depending on the authority you cite, we're both right -- Read says > the whole rest can be used for any meter, both Ross and Stone say > measures of 4/2 would use the breve rest, but none of them say that 3/2 > measures would use the breve rest. -- http://www.musikmanufaktur.com http://www.camerata-berolinensis.de _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
