Hi Rob, for the record, it was not Schubert himself who wrote the note and changes!
Here’s a quote from the critical notes in the Wiener Urtext Edition:
No.3 G flat major
The Aut. has the following note in another hand (Diabelli?): "Im ganzen Takt und in G-Dur zu schreiben! (“To be written in whole measures and in G-major”). The second alla breve marking was crossed out and new bars were drawn through the middle of the first four measures. The posthumous version in G major greatly disturbs the tonal balance between the Impromptus…
The description of Schubert’s use of alla breve (cut common really rankles with me) is interesting.
Nevertheless, my interest is mensural notation and the ability to use alla breve and common time as forms of imperfect tempi such that I would like to have more than just the option to have alla breve for 4/2. There are times when I would like ‘common time’ for 4/2 in the transcription of Renaissance music. It’s a shame this isn’t a ‘cycled’ choice rather than an on/off switch.
To have C meaning 4/2, use a pick-up bar with 8 beats in it: Type C,8 in the popover. Then place a hidden 4/2 in the following bar.
This method lets you use any displayed signature with any actual metre, e.g. displayed 3/2 for 3/1, etc. Also note that checking the Cut time box for any /2 metre (e.g. 8/2, 6/2, 12/2) will display a Cut C.
I don’t consider this a workaround. Any method is going to involve telling Dorico which metre you want to use and which to display. This is about as simple as it can be.
I’m grateful for the very clear description — the problem is that this method breaks multi-bar rests in parts wherever you have a hidden time signature. If this were just the first measure of the piece, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Praetorius goes back and forth between “C” (4/2) and various types of triple meter, so every time the change happens this will break the multimeasure rests.
Wishing there were a checkbox option for 4/2 to be equivalent to C, as it often is in early baroque scores!
