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mehr Töne als der Schlag erlaubt

English translation: more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

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03:10 Jan 6, 2010

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Music / Notation

German term or phrase: mehr Töne als der Schlag erlaubt

"Singt man diese Stellen aber „wörtlich“ ab, kommt man sicher nicht zu demselben Ergebnis, abgesehen von der Schwierigkeit, diese Passage in moderner Notenschrift wiederzugeben, da mehr Töne als der Schlag erlaubt unterzubringen sind."

This sentence is from an article on the relationship between musical performance and notation. While everything else is fairly straightforward, I simply can't get my head around this. The passages referred to in the sentence are from Francesco Rasi's "Vaghezze di musica per una voce sola".

Damian Harrison KudoZ activity Questions: 13 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 37 Germany
Local time: 04:16

English translation:more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

Explanation:
My layman's interpretation is that "Schlag" refers to the "Taktschlag", the musical beat. If you have a 3/4 time for example, you have 3 beats per measure and each beat allows for notes of a certain length - one beat in a 3/4 time may contain one quarter note or two eighth notes or four sixteenth... if I remember this correctly from my music lessons.

This text says that it is difficult to write the passage in question in notes, because more notes than the musical beat allows for would have to be accommodated. I have no idea how this is possible (which is why I am posting this with low confidence level), but it must be quite some piece...

"Tones" might be the better word to use, but I am not sure about its usage here. If you use "notes", I would add "single", to make the meaning clear.

Selected response from:

Susanne Creak
Australia
Local time: 12:16

Grading comment

Thank you, that hits the nail on the head.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

2 +9

more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

Susanne Creak

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +9

more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

Susanne Creak
Australia
Local time: 12:16
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you, that hits the nail on the head.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks very much for your detailed answer. I wasn't too sure about this as I don't have any formal musical education, but you have confirmed my initial understanding of the sentence. I'll let it run for a day to see what the discussion turns up.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

efreitag: Exactly, that's what the source says. I'd prefer notes over tones, though, and I don't think "single" or "musical" are really necessary, but take that with a grain of salt, as I don't work into English.

52 mins

-> Thank you; those were exactly the details in wording that I wasn't sure about,while I was quite sure about the meaning.

agree

Jim Tucker: w/ Freitag: "more notes than the beat allows". "Tones" is definitely wrong here, and "single" and "musical" are superfluous. (Also, in the previous clause, "Notenschrift" is not "notes" but "notation".)

58 mins

-> Thank you, too, pls see my response to efreitag :-) / Re notation: Just for the record, I know, I wasn't really translating that part but just reflecting its meaning.

agree

Anne-Marie Grant: more notes than the beat can accommodate (?)

1 hr

-> Thank you; yes of course, as long as you don't double up on the "accommodate" at the end of the sentence, where I had used it above.

agree

szakkriszta: 'allows' sounds like the better verb to me

3 hrs

agree

Goldcoaster: with Jim

5 hrs

agree

Rebecca Garber: notes and allows

8 hrs

agree

Ben Lewis: "more notes than the beat allows" sounds best to me.

10 hrs

agree

Ingeborg Gowans: w/ BEn: this should be the final version

12 hrs

agree

Thayenga: with Ben. This sentence "flows" easily. :)

1 day2 hrs

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mehr Töne als der Schlag erlaubt

English translation: more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

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mehr Töne als der Schlag erlaubt

English translation: more single notes / more tones than the musical beat allows for

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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