Does anyone else use the serpent-style segno for cuts? I typically use it as that’s what I’ve seen in hand copied parts and there’s no confusion with the Coda ball that is sometimes used. I know there’s a classical tradition of using “vi ------- de” too, but honestly that seems less obvious to the performer. I usually end up doing something like this:
It’s obviously not too hard to use System Text and paste in the symbol, but it could be a nice feature if Dorico could add some sort of Cut feature to Repeat Structures. A toggle could be added to determine whether the cut is in effect or not for playback. Thanks for considering!
Cuts are useful for “classical” music too. I once engraved an organ trio which was essentially a choralvorspiele on a hymn tune. It worked very well to optionally repeat, or not, as per preference, and there was also a nice spot where you could jump ahead if you wanted to shorten it. I ended up cobbling some symbols together by hand just as in your example. I also did a transcription of Chesnokov’s Let my prayer arise for organ solo, and it is quite long, so I’ve made indications of various repeated sections that could be suppressed for timing reasons (it’s fully written out, but effectively they are prime restatements of material already heard). So I fully support this idea.
I suppose the only question would be: how many optional cuts do we limit ourselves to? Only one symbol? Two or three, surely. But then what are they? etc.
I think there would have to be some sort of linkage between the cut and the target destination somehow. If each pair were linked, I would think you could then add as many as needed. The additional text should make the cut clear. There could also be a method to describe the various cuts, perhaps with multiple symbols …
Sometimes hymnals use + - - - - - + for an omitted phrase. I’m not saying this would be appropriate for larger scores & parts, but I just wanted to mention the idea of a line connecting the symbols.
What about good old VI- -DE? It’s been in use for over a hundred years and I’m confident most orchestral (and certainly opera) musicians would already understand it.
I mentioned that one in my original post, so I definitely agree it should be supported if Dorico implements a Cut feature. Whenever I’ve encountered it though it’s only been for a short cut, maybe 2 or 4 bars, and even then the intervening bars are usually scratched out in pencil, LOL. It is often used for longer cuts too? Is there a dashed line between the syllables, even if it spans systems or pages?
At least in my experience, it’s not commonly encountered in contemporary musical theater or jazz work though, so I imagine would be unknown to many musicians in those genres.
I’ve seen VI- -DE used for relatively long cuts and, in my experience, without a dashed line. Just VI- as a sort of opener and closed with -DE however many bars or systems later. I think it is useful for alerting everyone to the fact that something could be cut but is generally too unobtrusive for acutal performance so it doesn’t suprise me to find the cuts emphasised in another manner.
Decades ago as I transitioned from being a commercial musician to a primarily orchestral engraver I have to admit I didn’t know what it meant the first time I saw it used. So I definitely agree with you there! But it is the primary way I’ve seen cuts marked in orchestral/opera materials, as mentioned.
No dashed line, but I would put a strip of Post-It paper tape between the VI- and -DE.
I strongly discouraged scribbling in the part (because I was the one who had to erase it). And, as you know, there are two kinds of people you never want to piss off: librarians and stage hands.
