Re: New context modifier \CompletionRhythms?

[Simon Albrecht]

On 09.04.2016 23:37, David Kastrup wrote:
> Why would you even split note values across bars in "ancient music"?
> I much prefer unmolested note values and bar lines_between_  staves
> there.  Makes the motives stand out clearer and avoids boorish
> accentuation of mid-syncopes by the singers.

While this is completely off-topic :-), I’m still happy to answer. The 
truth is, I haven’t really made up my mind on this. There is proof that 
actually notating scores with regular bar lines, and splitting cross-bar 
notes using ties, is an authentic practice of the Renaissance period, 
[1] which is why recent scientific editions of Renaissance music have 
stopped using the so-called „Mensurtaktstriche“, which are a 20th 
century invention. I very much fancy 19th century scientific editions of 
e.g. Palestrina [2] and di Lasso [3], and am usually emulating their 
approach when doing similar editions.
However, that doesn’t touch the point if it makes _musical_ sense to use 
Mensurstriche despite them being unauthentic (which I’d consider 
perfectly valid reasoning). Also, I’m not actually sure which is easier 
for singers to read, and with what level of experience with the style.
Coming back on topic – these reasonings shouldn’t be the business of us 
as developers. And the thread is only about user interface, not about 
actual functionality :-)

Best, Simon

[1] The reason this is so little known is because almost all scores of 
that time were composed on slates, parts were copied and the scores 
subsequently erased.
[2] 
<http://imslp.org/wiki/Opera_omnia_Ioannis_Petraloysii_Praenestini_%28Palestrina,_Giovanni_Pierluigi_da%29>