Re: GPD: official shortest note in lilypond

[Han-Wen Nienhuys]

2007/11/8, Thomas Bushnell BSG <address@hidden>:
> On Thu, 2007-11-08 at 02:03 +0100, Werner LEMBERG wrote:
> > As a composer by myself, it's a mystery to me why so many composers
> > love to use 128th and 256th, most time for no good reason.
>
> Let's ask ourselves about that well-known piano hack, Ludwig van
> Beethoven.  Later we'll turn to Mozart, who didn't confine himself to
> 128th notes, but used 256th notes too.  I'm sure you'll start explaining

This still does not answer the real question: which is what is the
shortest UNBEAMED note that you see.  Lilypond supports 2048th notes
if need be, but only if they are beamed.

As for your examples, it is well known that classical composer liked
to write slow movements using small meters and small notes. It's
analogous to some composers preferring long meters and long notes for
pieces nowadays. Most John Adams music is harder to read than it needs
to be, because he insists on using (very fast) 8/2, 4/2, etc measures
all the time, so his smaller figures are not beamed and, consequently,
hard to read.

My comment that these composers need their heads checked out refers to
these crazy uses of notation that mostly make performers' life more
difficult.

Looking back to the thread, I actually self-censored to "should
reconsider". It's a pity that Beethoven is already dead - I would love
it if he would be here to rewrite the notation of some his symphonies.

-- 
Han-Wen Nienhuys - address@hidden - http://www.xs4all.nl/~hanwen