There should be a way to add opera fachs to voices
I intend on composing my own opera. I need several of the sub category fachs. The all instruments only have the basic ones. Also, is there a way to write out the non singing parts in the program?
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If I understand correctly, you can add a normal voice staff and change the name to whatever you like, also change the amateur/professional ranges if you wish using Staff Properties. So everything you need shoudl already be there. If there is something to this aside from just the name and ranges, could you epxlain in more detail what you need?
Also what do you mean by "write out the non singing parts" - do you mean the orchestra? Certainly, they are written out the same way as the vocal parts.
In reply to If I understand correctly, by Marc Sabatella
I think he may mean spoken text.....
In which case the use of vertical frames with added text areas would be the way forward.
Please will you explain what you mean by "fachs".
Perhaps giving examples might help.
Staves are fully customisable in terms of name and range from the staff properties dialogue, as Marc has already said.
In reply to Please will you explain what by ChurchOrganist
probably https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fach
In reply to probably by Jojo-Schmitz
Well - you live and learn :)
Never come across this before - but then I have never worked in the opera field.
Maybe this deserves a separate section in the instrument list?
In reply to Well - you live and learn by ChurchOrganist
I had to look it up too :-. Familiar with the concept, but not the specific term.
I would assume opera scores don't actually use those terms as staff names, instead using the names of the characters. But having those available as instruments with the ranges pre-set seems not a bad idea. Not sure if it makes more sense to use the German names (other than in the German version of course).
In reply to I had to look it up too :-. by Marc Sabatella
For non-speaking parts, I meant the libretto. The script. (There are parts in opera where the characters do not sing).
In reply to For non-speaking parts, I by Elwin
Then yes, you can add a text frame and insert text into it. Porbably best to prepare the text in a word processor then paste it in, though, since MuseScore doesn't really have full fledged word processing capabilities. Or, depending on how much text we are talking about, you might be better off creating the whole oepra as a document in a word processor and use MuseScore to create PDF, PNG, or SVG files to insert into that.
In reply to I had to look it up too :-. by Marc Sabatella
I think adding fach ranges to the instrument list is a good idea, BUT: the wikipedia only gives approximate ranges, and it would be VERY difficult to make a soundfont that would mimic the color of each individual voice type. So at least in terms of playback it's no different than the regular voice staff.
In reply to I think adding fach ranges to by joseph.branden…
It's important to remember that a fach is based at least as much on tessitura as range. Many lyric baritones can reach and sustain a high B-flat or C, but that doesn't make them tenors. Context is King! I'm not convinced that simply marking notes as out-of-range is adequate to properly define a fach.
OMG you are an opera composer (-to-be?) ... that's my aspiration as well... and the fach is just something I have been struggling to create in my symphony... I have tried oohs for lighter leggero tenors and aahs for lyric's and solo vox for dramatic's and heldentenors but so far it does not quite work...
I am sorry I am not helping but your question has just been in my head for long.
In reply to OMG you are an opera composer by wilson.wong.58
Sorry to disappoint, but not an opera composer in the making. I use MuseScore to do arrangements for church, to study, and to make karaoke orchestra scores to sing to (see attached).
(I know there are commercial "opera karaoke" recordings available, but I find them unsatisfactory. The tempos are inflexible, not allowing for the rubato & fermatas (fermati?) that are part of normal performance practice. And, the recording quality usually doesn't match what I can massage out of MuseScore 2.02. using Timbres of Heaven soundfont for most of the instruments and FluidR3 for everything else.)
(FYI if you "Show Invisible" on the attached, you'll see some items where I had to modify MuseScore's default playback due to soundfont issues, or embed tempo changes, fermata, etc. to reflect performance practice that are not shown in the source material.)
Regarding your issues with using different soundfont voice types to match fach types, I think you'll be disappointed. All such that I have come across seem to be choral blends and do not reflect the character of a gifted solo voice.
Re: fach, however, I have had the honor of sharing the stage with some incredibly gifted singers, which gives me a little more insight into fach than a layperson reading about it in Wikipedia. For more about fach, I recommend three books by Richard Miller: "Training Soprano Voices", "Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone, & Bass Voices", and from "On the Art of Singing" chapter 64 "Please Tell Me My Fach". I would quote Mr. Miller here, but the copyright info in the books makes it clear that is not permissible.
While I have the floor, I want to state what an incredible learning experience it is to transcribe public domain versions of opera material into MuseScore. Entering the info into MuseScore brings an insight to these musical gems to a level that one doesn't get from simply reviewing a hard copy. If my own gifts should ever rise to a level I am proud of, it is because of the opportunities that MuseScore makes available.
In reply to Sorry to disappoint, but not by marty strasinger
Just listened to the first one. Cool stuff! You should post them on musescore.com!
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/share-scores-online-0
In reply to Sorry to disappoint, but not by marty strasinger
Those were amazing. I intend on composing my own opera as well. (In english)
Oh... this really is disappointing... because you said you intended on composing your own opera... but your work is still awesome.