Plural instrument names for German baroque music

Moderator: kcleung

Post Reply
Irishmaestro
forum adept
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:00 pm
notabot: YES
notabot2: Bot
Location: Cork, Ireland

Plural instrument names for German baroque music

Post by Irishmaestro »

Is there any particular reason why every upload I make of parts pertaining to German baroque music has the instrument names changed to plural? It suggests a preference for multiple instruments per part, which I would not wish to convey, as it is likely inaccurate.
Notenschreiber
active poster
Posts: 728
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:31 pm

Re: Plural instrument names for German baroque music

Post by Notenschreiber »

Can you give some examples, please?
Irishmaestro
forum adept
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:00 pm
notabot: YES
notabot2: Bot
Location: Cork, Ireland

Re: Plural instrument names for German baroque music

Post by Irishmaestro »

I think something like "Violin I" is more appropriate than "Violins I" in string parts for this music. Why not "Oboes I", for example? I feel that plural part names is too prescriptive of multiple-instrument-per-part performance, thus entering into a discussional minefield (perhaps unintentionally). "Violin I" simply means that it is the first of two violin parts (thus also not excluding the possibility of having more than one player), "Violins I" seems to mean that there ought to be more than one violin playing that specific part. "Violas" on its own surely cannot mean anything else other than "this part must be performed by several viola players"?

I won't even start with "Cellos, Basses, Keyboard" for "Continuo". The two are not equivalent.

Rant over. :wink:
Post Reply