What is the “consensus” on a tempo/A tempo?
Many scores write this as a tempo in the same style (italic) as Dorico’s gradual words (with rit., accel., etc.) but Dorico have it as Reset Tempo and upright bold.
I’ve seen upright bold “A tempo”, but never upright bold “a tempo”.
It makes sense to have it as Reset Tempo, but then with “A tempo”, and how do I then change the “a” to “A”? Is my only option to open properties and change the text string, or can I redefine the “a tempo” in the list to be “A tempo”?
I would say there is not consensus. Gould (and thus Dorico) would have it boldface like other tempo text, but 19th century European scores often use italics for what I call “tempo modifications”. Some scores have both in the same score, and other nuances. There’s a page of Mahler 6 where he writes “rit.”, and then “Rit - - -.” capitalized in the very next bar (which, btw, makes sense musically with that passage!)
So I suppose if the editorial is up to you, just pick a style and stick to it.
Gould recommends putting ALL tempi marks, including rit, rall, allarg. accel, in Bold above the staff/system, to clearly distinguish them from expressions and dynamics in italics.
I have to say, this makes sense. As a conductor/accompanist, you’ve got all the tempo information in the same place and style.
Older indications like ‘rit e dim’ may be concise, but I think the separation brings clarity.
I agree that it is logical (especially to separate expression from tempi), but is not Gould “pro-conductor” in that she focus (more or less) on scores where the conductor needs to see those “tempo sign posts” quickly and easily?
A piano score would be very “black” with all those tempo changes in bold upright and larger font?
I too like to separate “rit. e dim” etc.
On the topic of expression, how do write “dolce” or “espressivo” in Dorico? I have not yet figured out how to do it. “Expressions” did not give me any help in the documentations since it is about “maps”.
Either do them as dynamic suffixes (and hide the intensity marking itself); or create a Paragraph Style for it.
I use a Paragraph Style, and assign it Shift E as a key shortcut.
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My mind what set on the 2nd method. Good to see I was not that far off.
Dorico cannot (yet) use default vertical position for a paragraph style? They are all set at a fixed height and I will have to move them in Engrave Mode?
You can F flip them, if needs be.