MusicXML file with multiple instruments at the same time in one part does not import correctly into MuseScore

• Oct 11, 2017 - 13:30
Type
Functional
Severity
S4 - Minor
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
No
Project
MuseScore
Tags
musicxml

Problem affects: MuseScore 2.1 when importing MusicXML from Sibelius 7.3.1

When importing MusicXML exported from Sibelius, ossias cause MuseScore to add "Instrument change" instructions in almost all the bars which are not the ossia. Hence multiple instruments (hundreds) will be added and are visible in the Mixer.

The attached MusicXML example file will show this problem when imported into MuseScore, caused by ossias in bars 195-197 (Violin 1) and in bars 242-247 (Cello).

Attachment Size
Rootham_Op.97_Symphony_No_2_Mvmt_1_full_score.zip 331.39 KB

Comments

• Oct 11, 2017 - 14:32
Status (old) active ⇒ needs info
Status active ⇒ needs info

Have you tried this? :
Open the same XML file with Sibelius.
Is everything in place?
All instruments are okay?

Instead of direct export, use the dolet plugin.
I imported this XML to Sibelius, exported it with dolet plugin, then I don't see (many) instrument change problems in Mixer.

Edit: I didn't change the status message. I think that this message changed automatically because I pressed the Reply button earlier than you.

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• Oct 14, 2017 - 11:35
Title MusicXML file exported from Sibelius does not import ossias correctly into MuseScore ⇒ MusicXML file exported from Sibelius directly does not import ossias correctly into MuseScore

Reply

• Oct 16, 2017 - 20:53

This issue is not related to the ossia at all, but simply to having two different instruments at the same time in one part. MuseScore does not support this (within a part only one instrument is supported at any time), the MusicXML import does not handle it. For the file attached to [#250386], this results in an instrument change at the start of every measure. This in turn leads to the many instruments in the mixer (this is not related to MusicXML import at all, it also happens when a score containing many instrument changes is created in MuseScore itself).

Note that the Dolet export does not suffer from this problem, simply because it's part P16 contains only a single instrument.

A few simple test files demonstrating the issue are attached:
change_instrument_by_MS.mscx is created by MuseScore and shows the many instruments in the mixer
one_part_two_staves_two_instruments_parallel.xml is similar to the Sibelius direct export file
one_part_one_staff_two_instruments_parallel.xml shows the issue also appears without the ossia staff present
one_part_one_staff_two_instruments_sequential.xml shows the many instruments in the mixer even though only one instrument is present at any time

Attachment Size
change_instrument_by_MS.mscx 13.69 KB
one_part_one_staff_two_instruments_parallel.xml 4.15 KB
one_part_one_staff_two_instruments_sequential.xml 2.85 KB
one_part_two_staves_two_instruments_parallel.xml 4.58 KB

Reply

• Oct 16, 2017 - 20:56
Title MusicXML file exported from Sibelius directly does not import ossias correctly into MuseScore ⇒ MusicXML file with multiple instruments at the same time in one part does not import correctly into MuseScore

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• Oct 18, 2017 - 07:02

Possible solutions could be:

Supporting multiple instruments at the same time in MuseScore. This requires making the track information part of the instrument map for a part, plus associated GUI and file format changes.

Splitting parts with multiple parallel instruments into several parts without parallel instruments at MusicXML import.

Ignoring parallel instruments at MusicXML import.

The first two options are non-trivial, the last one loses information, which is probably OK for the ossia case, but may be problematic in more general cases.

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