Re: \time 9/8 (3/4)

[David Kastrup]

Carl Sorensen <carl.d.sorensen@gmail.com> writes:

> On Thu, Jul 28, 2022 at 1:52 PM Eef Weenink <h.e.weenink@de-erve.nl> wrote:
>
>> This score starts with \time 9/8, but i also should have 3/4 feeling, so
>> there is written:
>>
>> 9/8 (3/4)  (in parenthesis).
>
>
> Just curious, because I know precious little about polymetry.
>
> Does 9/8 (3/4) mean anything different from (3 + 3 + 3)/8 ?

With 9/8 I think of the third movement of BWV1041, Bach violin concerto
in A minor.  A slight difference to 3/4 and triplets may be that the
first eighth note feels more flexible regarding stress and meter than
one would expect a triplet to be "among its equals".  Also there are
some rhythmic patterns 16 16 16 16 8 in arpeggiated phrases that don't
really have a triplet feeling to them.

> To my novice eye, both mean that it's 9/8 with three primary beats per
> measure.  Also to my novice eye, it seems that 9/8 can/t have a 3/4
> alternate time signature; perhaps a (3/4.) , but not a (3/4).

It just suggests the accent structure of 3/4 over 9/8, not a
mathematical equivalence.

> I;m not trying to be argumentative, or say that the original
> composer/engraver is wrong.  I'm just interested understanding some of
> the new conventions.

-- 
David Kastrup