Ancient music (transcription): some issues

[Stefan Slapeta]

Hi all,

As a lilypond newbie, I'm currently facing some problems in ancient 
music transcription.
I could solve many things with the excellent documentation but there are 
some issues where I would like to ask some more experienced users for 
help :-)
As an example, I attach a script of a German Lassus Motet where I used 
the documentated template for ancient music transcription (D.5.1).

Thanks in advance!

Stefan

1)
System start delimiter and bracket are both removed in the template. 
However, I didn't find any way how to show them again in the systems 
after the incipit....???

\override Score.SystemStartBracket #'transparent = ##t
...
\remove "System_start_delimiter_engraver"

2)
In quite all of ancient music before 1600, allabreve does _not_ mean 
2/2, but rather 2/1.
--> how do I use the allabreve time signature for 2/1?

3)
The horizontal space for the incipit is far too large. Any clue how to 
shrink it?

4)
Can the "measure bars" (or whatever the correct translation of the 
German "Mensurstrich" is ;-) ) be avoided in the bassus lyrics?
IMO they should end _above_ this staff!

5)
Using \remove "Forbid_line_break_engraver", the lines can break also 
when notes overlap into the next bar.
It's quite common to print the remaining duration of those overlapping 
notes in the next line as well (smaller and in brackets).
This is just a "nice-to-have" feature, but I would be interested if it's 
supported.

6)
The lyrics hit the text in many places. I found this directive in a 
newsgroup, but it didn't help:

   \context {
     \Lyrics
       \consists "Bar_engraver"
   }

% ISSUES:
% text hits bars
% bars too long (--> bassus)
% allabreve instead of 2/1
% no start bar for voices

\version "2.10.10"

global = {
        #(set-default-paper-size "a4")
        #(set-global-staff-size 17)
        #(ly:set-option 'point-and-click #f)
        \set Score.skipBars = ##t
        
        % incipit
        \once \override Score.SystemStartBracket #'transparent = ##t
        \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment = #1.0 % tight 
spacing
        \key f \major
        \time 2/2
        \once \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'neomensural
        \override Voice.NoteHead #'style = #'neomensural
        \override Voice.Rest #'style = #'neomensural
        \set Staff.printKeyCancellation = ##f
        \cadenzaOn % turn off bar lines
        \skip 1*9
        \once \override Staff.BarLine #'transparent = ##f
        \bar "||"
        \skip 1*1 % need this extra \skip such that clef change comes
        % after bar line
        \bar ""

        % main
        \revert Score.SpacingSpanner #'spacing-increment % CHECK: no effect?
        \cadenzaOff % turn bar lines on again
        \once \override Staff.Clef #'full-size-change = ##t
        \set Staff.forceClef = ##t
        \override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'C
        \key f \major
        \time 2/1
        \override Voice.NoteHead #'style = #'baroque
        \override Voice.Rest #'style = #'default

        % FIXME: setting printKeyCancellation back to #t must not
        % occur in the first bar after the incipit. Dto. for forceClef.
        % Therefore, we need an extra \skip.
        \skip 1*1
        \set Staff.printKeyCancellation = ##t
        \set Staff.forceClef = ##f
%       \skip 1*7 % the actual music
        % let finis bar go through all staves
%       \override Staff.BarLine #'transparent = ##f
        % finis bar
%       \bar "|."
}

% ****************************************
% DISCANTUS
% ****************************************

discantusNotes = \relative c'' {
        \set Staff.instrumentName = "Discantus "
        % incipit
        \clef treble
        r\longa         % 2
        r\breve         % 1
        d1 s1           % 1
        \skip 1*2 % 1

        \clef treble
  \key f \major
        \time 2/1

        % 1
        R1*6 d1 bes2 c bes g g g
        % 2
        g1 r r2 d' f1 r2 d c d a1 g2 a2. g4 g1
                \set suggestAccidentals = ##t
                        fis2
                \set suggestAccidentals = ##f
                g bes a4 bes c g
        % 3
        bes2 a g1 R1*2 
}
discantusLyrics = \lyricmode
{
        Ich
        Ich rüff zu dir Herr Je -- su
        Christ ich bit ich bit er -- hör mein kla --  _ _ _ gen ver -- ley __ 
_ _ _
        _ mir gnad
}

% ****************************************
% ALTUS
% ****************************************

altusNotes = \relative c'' {
        \set Staff.instrumentName = "Altus "
        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c2"
        a1 s1                           % 1
        \skip 1*8               % 4

        \clef "treble"
  \key f \major
  \time 2/1
  
  a1 f2 g f d f e f bes bes g bes bes f f g d d ees
  d d g g f f a bes1 a2 a a2. d,4 f2 d4 e f2 r1 r2 a bes g fis g2.
  f8 e f2 d e f bes bes g
}
altusLyrics = \lyricmode
{
        Ich
        Ich rüff zu dir Herr Je -- su Christ ich rüff zu dir Herr Je -- su 
Christ ich rüff zu
        dir Herr Je -- su Christ ich bit er -- hör mein kla -- _ _ _ _ gen ver 
-- ley mir gnad zu __
        _ _ _ di -- ser frist ver -- ley mir
}

% ****************************************
% QUINTA VOX
% ****************************************

quintaVoxNotes = \relative c' {
        \set Staff.instrumentName = \markup {
                \column { "Die Fünffte "
                        \line { "Stimm"} } }

        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c3"
        r\breve                 % 1
        d1 s1                           % 1
        \skip 1*6               % 3
        
        \clef "treble_8"
  \key f \major
  \time 2/1
  
  R1*2 d1 bes2 c bes g d' e f r4 g d2 c d4 c bes a g2 g1
  bes2 g2. a4 bes2 a r d f2. f4 f2 f d a r2 a bes c a1 g r
  r2 d' bes c bes g d' e
}
quintaVoxLyrics = \lyricmode
{
        Ich
        Ich rüff zu dir Herr Je -- su Christ ich rüff zu dir __ _ _ _ _ Herr 
__
        Je -- su __ _ _ Christ ich bit er -- hör mein kla -- gen er -- hör 
mein kla -- gen
        ver -- ley mir gnad zu di -- ser
}

% ****************************************
% TENOR
% ****************************************

tenorNotes = \relative c' {
        \set Staff.instrumentName = "Tenor "
        % incipit
        \clef "neomensural-c3"
        r\maxima        % 4
        r2 d2   s1      % 1

        \clef "treble_8"
  \key f \major
  \time 2/1
  
  R1*8 r2 d bes c
  bes g bes c R1*2 r1 r2 d f d bes c ees1 d\breve r1
  R1*4
}
tenorLyrics = \lyricmode
{
  Ich
  Ich rüff zu
  dir Herr Je -- su Christ ich bit er -- hör mein kla -- gen
}

% ****************************************
% BASSUS
% ****************************************

bassusNotes = \relative c' {
        \set Staff.instrumentName = "Bassus "
        % incipit
        \clef "varbaritone"
        r\longa                 % 2
        d1 s1                           % 1
        \skip 1*4               % 2

        \clef "bass"
  \key f \major
  \time 2/1
  
  R1*4 d1 bes2 c bes g bes a g1 r2 c,
  g'1 ees d r2 bes' d1 r d, g2 f ees c d1 g2 r4 g d2 ees
  d1 r d' bes2 c
}
bassusLyrics = \lyricmode
{
        Ich
        Ich rüff zu dir Herr Je -- su Christ Herr
        Je -- su Christ ich bit ich bit er -- hör mein kla -- gen ver -- ley 
mir
        gnad ver -- ley mir
}



% ****************************************
% SCORE
% ****************************************


\score {
        \new StaffGroup = choirStaff
        <<
                \new Voice =
                "discantusNotes" << \global \discantusNotes >>
                \new Lyrics =
                "discantusLyrics" \lyricsto discantusNotes { \discantusLyrics }
                \new Voice =
                "altusNotes" << \global \altusNotes >>
                \new Lyrics =
                "altusLyrics" \lyricsto altusNotes { \altusLyrics }
                \new Voice =
                "quintaVoxNotes" << \global \quintaVoxNotes >>
                \new Lyrics =
                "quintaVoxLyrics" \lyricsto quintaVoxNotes { \quintaVoxLyrics }
                \new Voice =
                "tenorNotes" << \global \tenorNotes >>
                \new Lyrics =
                "tenorLyrics" \lyricsto tenorNotes { \tenorLyrics }
                \new Voice =
                "bassusNotes" << \global \bassusNotes >>
                \new Lyrics =
                "bassusLyrics" \lyricsto bassusNotes { \bassusLyrics }
        >>

        \layout {
                \context {
                        \Score
                        % no bars in staves
                        \override BarLine #'transparent = ##t
                        % incipit should not start with a start delimiter
                        \remove "System_start_delimiter_engraver"
                }
    \context {
      \Lyrics
        \consists "Bar_engraver"
    }
    \context {
            \Voice
                        % no slurs
                        \override Slur #'transparent = ##t
                        \consists "Ambitus_engraver"
                        % Comment in the below "\remove" command to allow line
                        % breaking also at those barlines where a note overlaps
                        % into the next bar. The command is commented out in 
this
                        % short example score, but especially for large scores, 
you
                        % will typically yield better line breaking and thus 
improve
                        % overall spacing if you comment in the following 
command.
                        \remove "Forbid_line_break_engraver"
                }
        }
}