The clefs you use depend on the intentions of your edition. Is it for general players, who may not be able to cope with anything other than standard clefs, or is it for period instrument specialists, who should be capable of playing from the original clefs? Or perhaps it is intended as a critical edition, for study and not necessarily for performance, in which case the use of the transposing treble clef (sounding an octave lower) would be best. If the part alternates between soprano and tenor clef, is it a viola bastarda type part? If so, it would be reasonable to use two clefs to avoid too many ledger lines.
Additionally, the term violetta does not necessarily mean a small viola. In Castello's Sonate Concertate (1629) the violetta would appear to be a large viola, or rather a small bass viola (today usually given the misleading name of tenor violin). These parts are labelled 'trombone overo violetta' and are generally in the tenor clef with a tessitura not descending below G (bottom line of the bass clef) although there is infuriatingly one sonata which goes down to D below this. Michael Lawlor > >Thanks, John, for your answer. But I'm afraid > >there's a misunderstanding, entirely my fault, > >because I stupidly used the French word for > >viola (alto), which made it uncomprehensible! So > >let me repeat my question. > > > >I have an instrumental part for "violetta da > >brazzo", which seems (according to recent > >research) to be a viola. This viola part is > >written alternatively in C4 and C1 clefs. So my > >question is what should I do in a modern > >edition. Put it all in C3, or alternate between > >C3 and G2? In other words, how many ledger lines > >are acceptable for a violist? And do viola parts > >use occasionally G2 (I know the normal viola > >clef is C3). > > > >Thanks, and apologies. > > Up to 4 ledger lines (or 5 extra spaces) is quite > readable for violists in C3 clef (and covers the > notes in 3rd position). Many arrangers (moreso > than composers) switch clefs much too often in > viola parts, making it harder to read rather than > easier. Make a quick judgement about the > tessitura (rather than just the range) of the > part and then use either C3 or G2 (yes, we have > to, and do, read treble clef), but with as little > switching as is practical. > > The word "violetta" is generally thought to mean > a smaller viola, playing a part a bit higher than > the larger viola, in typical 5-part 17th century > scoring. It could also mean a regular viola with > a part for tenor violin, tuned an octave below > the violin, below it. But the important factor > is that it will probably be played by a violist > today, so pick the clef to keep a violist happy. > > John > -- > John & Susie Howell > Virginia Tech Department of Music _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
