[MEI-L] FRBR in MEI

Mon Nov 19 23:49:13 CET 2012

Hi, Axel,

I don't think the subsitution of <version> for <expression> helps very much.  We're still left with the question of what constitutes a new/different version and the answer to that question will vary.  I suspect it will depend on whether the project is addressing printed music only or printed and manuscript versions, among other things.

The question of what signals a different version between two manuscript versions is a very thorny one indeed.  Taken to the extreme, I suppose every single intervention potentially creates a huge hierarchical tree of versions.  But this is the province of philology and probably should be addressed somewhere other than in the FRBR entities, say using <app>.  Therefore, I would advise a somewhat loose, not-too-granular approach in the use of FRBR in MEI (and everywhere else for that matter).

Said another way, it's not very important that something fit precisely into the "correct" <source> or <expression> element, but that one is consistent, uses only the number of entities that achieve the level of descriptive granularity required, and that relationships between the entities are explicitly marked.

--

p.

__________________________
Perry Roland
Music Library

University of Virginia
P. O. Box 400175
Charlottesville, VA 22904
434-982-2702 (w)
pdr4h (at) virginia (dot) edu
________________________________
From: mei-l-bounces at lists.uni-paderborn.de [mei-l-bounces at lists.uni-paderborn.de] on behalf of Axel Teich Geertinger [atge at kb.dk]
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 3:17 PM
To: Music Encoding Initiative
Subject: Re: [MEI-L] FRBR in MEI

Hi Perry, Craig,

Yes, I was of course speaking of the header, where the FRBR-related elements are about to be implemented. In this context my remark about how to "encode performances" was intended to mean "encode information about the historical events where the work (or rather: the expression) was performed"...

I would still, however, be curious to hear any opinions on the interpretation of the expression level as versions (or, as an alternative, using <version> instead of <expression>), because that is how MerMEId treats them right now. The FRBR-extended schema itself does not enforce that interpretation, but MerMEId does, unless we change the concept.

/axel

________________________________
Fra: mei-l-bounces at lists.uni-paderborn.de [mei-l-bounces at lists.uni-paderborn.de] på vegne af Roland, Perry (pdr4h) [pdr4h at eservices.virginia.edu]
Sendt: 19. november 2012 16:26
Til: Music Encoding Initiative
Emne: Re: [MEI-L] FRBR in MEI

Hi, Craig,

I want clear up any confusion about MEI's <eventList> element.  I don't think <eventList> is what you're thinking of as an "event list"; that is, a place to put timing information.  <eventList> is for recording *historical events using prose*.  <timeline>, on the other hand, is for capturing processable time data.  I believe that's where the kind of thing you're thinking of should go.

Multiple <timeline> elements are allowed within <music> and/or within <scoreDef>. <timeline>

"[p]rovides a set of ordered points in time to which musical elements can be linked in order to create a temporal alignment of those elements."

The timing data you provide in http://mazurka.org.uk/webern/dynamics/mvmt1/webern-op27-1-Aitken1961.dyn can easily be mapped to --

<timeline>

  <when xml:id="event1" absolute="5.518"/>

  <when xml:id="event2" absolute="6.018"/>

  <!-- and so on -->

</timeline>

while the dynamics can be recorded using <dynam> in the notation part of the tree.  Unfortunately, at present there's no place to record your values on <dynam> ("73.7632", etc.), only integer values in the MIDI value range, i.e., 0-127.  This can be remedied in the short term by customizing the @val attribute.

Assuming customization of @val, a dynamic can be associated with a timepoint using @when --

<dynam when="#event1" val="73.7632"/>

<dynam when="#event2" val="69.4717"/>

<!-- und so weiter -->

At present, there's no way to link a <timeline> directly with a FRBR entity, such as <source> (manifestation).  An indirect link is possible by associating a timeline (via its @avref attribute) with a digital recording, then associating that digital file (represented by <avFile>) with a particular source description (via its @decls attribute).  There's no requirement that @decls refer to any particular FRBR entity type (work, expression, manifestion, or item), making it theoretically possible to connect a digital audio file to any FRBR entity; however, practically speaking, a digital audio file is probably best associated with a manifestation; that is, an MEI <source> element.  It would be appropriate to describe the Delos DEL 25407 (1978) recording using <source> as it is the base material from which your encoding of the dynamics and timing information are taken.

"Performance" scores of the type you're describing can be encoded in MEI by leaving out the duration information at the event level and associating the event with timing information provided within <timeline> --

<chord when="#event1">

  <note pname="f" oct="4"/>

  <note pname="e" oct="5"/>

</chord>

There's no defined way yet, however, to record both a "performance" score and a traditional one in the same MEI file.

Hope this helps,

--

p.

__________________________
Perry Roland
Music Library

University of Virginia
P. O. Box 400175
Charlottesville, VA 22904
434-982-2702 (w)
pdr4h (at) virginia (dot) edu
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