Hi there,
Is it possible for Dorico (Pro 6.1.10) to automatically print a “unis.” label at the start of the next full system after a divisi ends? If I go to Layout Options → Staves and Systems and turn “Show divisi change labels above staves,” Dorico places the “unis.” label at the location of the unison signpost, which might be before the start of the next full system. I realize I could move the signpost to the start of the next system, but if the layout changes then I might have the same problem again. Is there a way for this to be done automatically? I believe printing “unis.” at the start of the next full system is best practice (e.g. according to Gould etc.)
Thank you!
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Welcome to the forum, Alex. I’m afraid that at time of writing, this function doesn’t exist. I agree that a unis. at the place of the signpost is often too literal and naïve a solution.
The way I personally deal with it is simply to (manually) hide most labels in the score. In my experience, switching back and forth between normal two-way divisi and unison doesn’t need labeling at all. In fact, you could write idiomatic double-stops with an explicit non divisi and a section might still decide to divide anyway. It’s only in more complex cases (3 or 4-ways, solo parts, half-sections, desk allocations) that labels become actually necessary and even then, it might be easier to just add them as staff text instead.
By the way, the ‘1./2.’ that Dorico adds for a bog-standard two-way divisi is very nonsensical in any case, not a Gould recommendation, never found in published music and may even cause additional confusion. Hide those always.
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Thanks Hugo. Hopefully this might be considered for a future release!
I agree also that the “1” and “2” labels are strange and confusing. In my experience, Arabic numerals are generally used to refer to single players or possibly individual desks, not half of a section.
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