Best modern practice about language in printed scores...

[FMiguelez]

Hello.

My Yuja Wang piano piece is coming along fine! I've been inspired by my muse

However, now that I'm notating in Finale, I'm facing something weird... I'm talking about the language to use for indications in my score.

I can, of course, use Italian for the traditional tempo, attack, and some expression indications. Fine. But I feel pretty stupid looking up in the internet how to say in Italian something outside of tradition. It's similar to Spanish, but not enough for me to even guess (Portuguese is much closer).

Isn't forcing Italian a little pretentious in modern times? Especially if I, the composer, has to translate to another language that he doesn't know except for a few traditional phrases?
It could be anything... For instance, if there's a passage that I want it to be played "heavily, with weight" (as opposed to leggiero... see? I had to look that one up just to see how it's spelled), should I still make an effort and use Italian? What would be the point of making it harder on me and the especially the performer?

Or a combination of English and Italian is fine? This seems weird to me. It doesn't look consistent, and it feels pretty stupid as well.

Or should I go all Schönberg/Ravel/Copland and notate EVERYTHING in my own language (or, better yet, in English, the universal language of today)??
So far, I'm inclined to do this. Not for "nationalistic" tendencies, of course (you guys know how "nationalist" and proud of my country I am)

My main concern is that my printed music is easily understood by whomever has it in front of her/him, while still "looking right".
I don't suppose I can expect anyone to, in addition to learning the piece, they also bother looking up foreign terms to describe something that could've been done easily in English (or Spanish). Learning the piece will be hard enough!

What's the best practice about this today in professional circles?

[FMiguelez]

Yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious I don't currently have any experience publishing printed music...

But that is going to change. I have a whole slew of piano pieces I would like to try to get published in print eventually. And I also want to learn and even record them in a nice big room with a great piano myself

[mikehalloran]

The standard notations in Italian are readily understood by players in most other countries.

Seasoned orchestra players are also familiar with common markings in German, French and English in that order.

Russians and East European composers generally mark in Italian, German or French (or their German and English publishers do) but I've never seen a part marked up in English. When I worked with non-Russian, Soviet folk dance groups in the 1980s, no one spoke English but everyone had studied German or French in school.

My 2¢

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I would go with the commonly used Italian and other European words, but avoid really obscure words, opting instead for simpler directions, perhaps in the tongue of the performers in question. Obviously, I use English for that stuff, but my scores frequently use suave, morendo, and the more common allegro, andante, etc. With strings in particular, I'd be careful, however, and adhere to "European tradition" in performance directives (with regard to bowing, mutes, etc).

[FMiguelez]

Thank you, Mike, and thank you, Mike

Turns out, writing in English what was expected to be in Italian also looks strange.

I think I'm going to settle for tradition... Typical (expected) terms in Italian (arco, sul tasto, subito, ritardando, etc.), and the more descriptive ones, the ones I was referring to in the OP, if any, in English (something such as "without hesitation", or "after the long pause, attack fiercely", etc.).
I think it makes little sense to write that in Italian. But I could be wrong!

I must admit, however, that there's something about Italian that looks and sounds right... Like I don't remember which movie it was, but I remember a line going something like (paraphrasing)>

"In Italian, you get something wonderful and descriptive like Giuseppe Verdi. Say it in English, and it turns to Joe Green".

Even in Spanish... José Verde??? Or is it Juan Verde?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

FWIW, I did exactly what you are describing for the Chicago Symphony and was promptly told by the conductor to NOT use obscure terms. I had to go back and change my hard earned "research." Ends up even high end players tend to want the SIMPLEST, most uncluttered scores. Makes sense.

[FMiguelez]

FWIW, I did exactly what you are describing for the Chicago Symphony and was promptly told by the conductor to NOT use obscure terms. I had to go back and change my hard earned "research." Ends up even high end players tend to want the SIMPLEST, most uncluttered scores. Makes sense.

So just to be absolutely clear, you mean that, for out-of-tradition indications, you had to delete your (Italian?) research in favour of simple English terms, correct?

Yes. It makes sense.

BTW... THE Chicago Symphony Orchestra?!?!?!?!? Wow! That's one hell of a gig, my friend! I take my hat off!

How was it? Did you get hairs down your spine listening to your work played by them?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Yes, change everything non standard Italian (or French, etc.).

The CSO gig was in 2006. They invited me to perform a work I scored for the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival (I was piano soloist as well in both performances). Then added a second work. When the Chicago Civic (their training orchestra) got wind of it, they added a third work. In all, about 75 minutes of my music in Symphony Hall that weekend.

It was, of course, thrilling and terrifying at the same time. And in an ironic twist, the CSO refused to allow ANY recordings since there was a lot of other film music they didn't have a license to record (only perform). The Olympics performance was recorded.