On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:59 AM, Owain Sutton wrote:
the use of 'ffff', 'pppp' and beyond. I've got no problem as a performer from using these ... representing extremes of volume beyond that normally expected by three-letter indications.
The problem is what is "normally expected." In the common practice period, 6 levels is standard, and some instruments (double reeds, top and bottom of the flute, etc.) cannot normally even achieve that many. Writing an fff for bassoon is just ridiculous: many top professionals will simply give you a forte, and new-music types like me (who don't care about blasting to get maximum loudness) will give you a plain fortissimo. An ffff --or a pppp for that matter, would simply be a waste of ink. Tchaikovsky once wrote a ppppp for a bassoon solo, and the result is that half the time it is played on a bass clarinet--which he certainly didn't want.
A word to the wise. Andrew Stiller Kallisti Music Press http://home.netcom.com/~kallisti/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
