Re: Aligning a tempo marking with a note

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Joram,

> Even editions that print it above the top staff sometimes print it in
> italics or less bold or somehow reduced compared to Allegro, Tempo I
> and so on (the general tempo).

Here’s what Gould writes on that issue (pg. 182): “Older scores use small 
italic type for general indication of gradual tamp change (accel., rall., 
etc.), but italic should be reserved for expression marks, and not used in this 
context.”

In the modern convention, the difference is [only] in capitalization: “New 
(established) tempi have initial capitals; temporary indications (allargando, 
accel., rall., etc.) do not.”

Now, I realize Gould is only one voice, however authoritative she may be (or at 
least present as being). That being said, I strongly agree with her, both as a 
performer (those smaller/less-bold/italic markings are much harder to spot 
under pit-orchestra lighting situations!) and as an engraver/designer (all 
markings relevant to tempo should be of the same design, and that design should 
be as markedly different as possible from other text elements in the score, to 
aid the reader and minimize confusion).

> Such short tempo changes can be more expression-motivated (like
> esspressivo, marcato or smorzando) and combined like "dim e rit”.

This is indeed is an interesting point of discussion. As a composer, I often 
write “rit. and dim. al fine”. But I always *engrave* that as a full metronome 
mark (i.e., same font as “Allegro”), and sometimes reinforce it with additional 
“dim.” markings in the appropriate place and font for dynamics, in part for the 
reasons outlined above.

Best,
Kieren.
________________________________

Kieren MacMillan, composer
‣ website: www.kierenmacmillan.info
‣ email: address@hidden