Re: Different Raster Size for every page

[David Rogers]

* Bernhard Ott <address@hidden> [2010-08-22 23:42]:

> On 22.08.2010 21:34, Francisco Vila wrote:
> > 2010/8/20 Nils Gey<address@hidden>:
> > > Sorry for the confusion.
> > >
> > > What I really mean is a simple question: I want page 1/2 size 16
> > > and page 2/2 size 18 because its the last page and has fewer
> > > notes.
> > >
> > > Note: Not really "I" but "he" or "someone". For me aestethics would
> > > prevent such a thing, but maybe there really is a case where this
> > > is needed to express the music.
> >
> > I can not imagine one, at least for the same score.  We would not
> > allow a text typesetter to print a different character size for the
> > last page just because it has fewer lines.  I can, however, imagine
> > a poem book where a short work could be typeset in a greater
> > character height, given it is a standalone piece.  Not too
> > pleasant-looking.
>
> In real life this is happening quite often - the score of "The
> Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a real nightmare (Dover edition
> which is a reprint of ???), and even Boosey's edition of Britten's
> Sinfonia da Requiem (I just opened "the book" at rehearsal mark 40)
> changes staff size from 5mm to 4mm from one page to the other, so
> it is not too unusual to ask for?

Those are hand-engraved pieces where (it seems clear) the engraver had
to make a desperate effort to force-fit the music.

The reason that computer notation programs don't do this is that it's a
bad idea. It looks better to change the space between staffs, or to
print the whole piece at a different size, or even to leave
three-quarters of a page empty; any of which are easy to do on a
computer, but some of which might be difficult or impossible in a
half-finished hand engraving job.


But allowing ugly typesetting, for those who are required to use it, is
not a crime. If Lilypond implements this capability, the command should
perhaps be called something like UgLyMistAKe.

--
David