Re: Mensural style

[Stefan Waler]

Trevor Daniels wrote:
> At present the MensuralVoice context sets the NoteHead style to 
> 'petrucci, but does not set the style for rests.  I know nothing of 
> ancient music, but it seems to me that rests should be set to 'mensural 
> style?  Advice please, from anyone who understands ancient music.

I think the current model is not sufficient as it confuses different 
aspects. Whatever you do, it's not correct to mix petrucci style notes 
with mensural clefs!

IMO there should be a context for each of the styles lilypond provides:

1. MensuralVoice/Staff
- clefs: mensural
- notes/rests: mensural
- time s.: mensural
- accidental appearance: mensural
- accidental style: forget (!)

2. NeomensuralVoice/Staff
- clefs: neomensural
- notes/rests: neomensural
- time s.: neomensural
- accidental appearance: modern
- accidental style: forget (!)

3. PetrucciVoice/Staff
- clefs: petrucci
- notes/rests: petrucci
- time s.: mensural (!)
- accidental appearance: mensural
- accidental style: forget (!)

4. VaticanaVoice/Staff
(leave as it is)

<off topic>
BTW, the term "accidental style" appears twice in the documentation with 
a completely different meaning:
- in 1.1.3, meaning the way how to display and reset accidentals
- in 2.8.3, meaning the graphical appearance of accidentals

...this probably could be confusing - IMO "style" is not a very good 
wording for the first of these two as this is more about how to handle 
accidentals in a certain context than the style of accidentals themselves.
</off topic>

As for incipits, it's a matter of taste which style you choose for staff 
and voice. All of the styles mentioned above exist in common literature. 
  (It wouldn't be valid to provide any guildline about it because the 
style might be different even for one and the same piece of music 
depending on whether you refer to the handwriting or the first print 
within the incipit).

That said: is it possible to parameterize the appearance of the incipit 
in order to choose one of the styles mentioned above?

Stefan