The Magic Flute

[Bo]

I have found some very old scores in a second-hand shop. So old they almost crumble, but I love them!
Anyway, I have uploaded a page from Mozart's Magic Flute here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/408116131/Magic_Flute.jpg

About the notes I have circled in red... Do I have to play them as tremolo, and as many beats as the dots above them?

Thanks!

Bo

[pied_piper]

No, that's not a tremolo, it's a shorthand way to notate repeating eighth notes.

If you look at the second measure of that line, the first four C# eighth notes are written out normally and then the D that follows uses the shorthand notation. The half note head indicates the duration while the single cross bar indicates that it is to be played as eighth notes. There are also four dots above to indicate that each eighth note should be played staccato.

The measure that you have circled is played exactly the same with each half note being played as four staccato eighth notes.

[Bo]

Thank you, pied_piper!

[Bo]

By the way, can old flute sheet music be worth something?
You find a lot of old piano music in second-hand shops, but not much flute music... Those scores I have found really look very old...

Bo

[pied_piper]

It's probably not worth any more than a new edition unless it's an original Mozart manuscript - then you'd have something!

[Bo]

It's probably not worth any more than a new edition unless it's an original Mozart manuscript - then you'd have something!

That would be nice...
Was sheet music smaller in the past? All three booklets are smaller than A4...

[pied_piper]

I think it really depends more on the country where it's printed. In the U.S., music is often on "letter" size paper (8.5" X 11"). Internationally, A4 is more common. French publishers however (Leduc, for example) tend to use paper that's larger than A4.

[Bo]

That's interesting. I found three collections all actually printed in France A LONG TIME AGO (no date unfortunately, but probably over 100 years ago) by Choudens and Ikelmer. I just measured them. They are about 11' x 7.5'...

[pied_piper]

I measured several of my books and sheet music (Width X Height):

Taffanel and Gaubert 17 Daily Exercises - Leduc / Paris - 11" X 8"
Moyse Daily Exercises - Leduc / Paris - 11" X 8"
Ibert's Entr'Acte - Leduc / Paris - 10.5" X 13.3".
Anderson Op. 33 - Southern Music - U.S.A - 9" X 11.75"
Flute Music by French Composers - Schirmer U.S.A - 9" X 12"

For reference:
ISO A4 is 8.3" x 11.7"
U.S. Letter size is 8.5" X 11"

It just goes to show that most publishers ignore both the U.S. and international ISO standard paper sizes.

[Bo]

Standards have probably changed. Those scores are really old. I did a quick search and Ikelmer used to publish around 1850... Maybe those scores are rare after all....

[Bo]

By the way, does anyone know who W. Strauss might have been? I suppose it is not a typo, as there are also pieces by J. Strauss in the collection, and a few by W. Strauss....

Thanks,
Bo

[Bo]

I suppose this study would be similar to the Magic Flute, right?
Is this notation only used for the flute? Strangely, I don't recall ever having found anything like that for the guitar or the piano for example...

Thanks,
Bo

[pied_piper]

Yep. The slashed eight notes are played as sixteenths and the double dots just means each sixteenth is played staccato. That notation style can be used for any instrument, but I don't know how common it is for guitar or piano. I've seen it used for most wind instruments.

[Bo]

Thanks.
Do you know if there is a proper "term" for this notation style?

[StephenC]

I suppose this study would be similar to the Magic Flute Lessons, right?
Is this notation only used for the flute? Strangely, I don't recall ever having found anything like that for the guitar or the piano for example...

Thanks,
Bo

Yup, that's right. This kind of notation isn't used for for guitars or pianos. It is only used for wind instruments. I just couldn't remember what the term for that notation but I'm sure it is only used for wind instruments.