My main interest in editing a musical text is the respect for the original. As a performer, I normally want to have access to an original source (or facsimile edition instead), but that is not always possible or easy (due to readability, accesibility or cost). This is the reason why I arrange some of my music, and I prefer modern editions that provide not only the content but also (when possible) the appearance of the original, because us, as readers from the 21st century, can only “interpret” what is there written.

Anyway, there are few things that I accomodate in my “translation” of the music, trying to look always for clarity.

Original CLEFS are replaced by modern ones in the score, but can be consulted in the Critical Commentary of each piece (where I also include changes when they occur).

When dealing with ensemble music (specially orchestral), those cases where doubling is expressly indicated in the sources by adding words as flûte, hautbois, etc., to one of the melodic lines, I add a new staff for each new instrument to visualize easily the orchestration. I should admit that this one is a problematic decision for me as it changes the appearance and hides a bit the fact that the INSTRUMENTATION is made mainly by doubling string parts. But it has a practical and visual advantage. Again, the specific original texts are mentioned in the Critical Commentary.

I have modernize the function of ACCIDENTALS: sharps and flats for ascending and descending semitones respectively; naturals to restore the original pitch of a note. Nevertheless, in order to keep as much as possible the original appearance of the music, I copy every accidental, even when they can seem superfluous (that is, they do not apply generally to all the notes with the same name in the same bar, although there are some cases in which a single accidental obviously affects more than one note; I leave it to the performer’s judgement). Editorial accidentals appear either on the note or (in vertical dispositions or when the continuo figuring can cause confusion) between brackets.

REPETITIONS are indicated in the modern standard way also. The Critical Commentary includes, however, the original repetition indications (and their place).

Other material, as KEY SIGNATURES, PHRASING MARKS, ORNAMENTATION and FIGURING in the continuo, is original.

EDITORIAL REMARKS but accidentals appear between square brackets. Each time I make the decision of changing anything from the original, I include an entry in the Critical Commentary, where the content is divided in pieces, sections, movements…

I use a lot of abreviations in my Critical Commentary. All of them (except those concerning sources as they are specific of each piece) are included below, together with a diagram of the pitch notation I use in my commentaries (it’s easier than writing each example in music notation).

ABREVIATIONS:

b. = bar

B. = base, basso

BC = continuo, basso continuo

Bs. = bassoon

C. = canto

C1 = soprano clef

Cfr. = confront, compare with

F4 = base clef

Fl. = flute, flauto

G1 = French treble clef

G2 = treble clef

p(p). = page(s)

Va. = viola

Vc. = violoncello

Vn. = violin, violino

Vne. = violone

Pitch notation:

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