By A-R's house editors
Starting in the late eighteenth century, it became more widespread for composers in the western canon to notate changes of key signature within a single piece or movement. When incorporating key signature changes into an edition for the Recent Researches series, make sure to keep three important features in mind: double barlines, cautionaries, and cancellation.
1. Double (Thin-Thin) Barlines
A double barline should precede any key signature change in which all, or the majority, of the instruments and/or voices change signature (see examples 1 and 2). Example 2 shows how a double barline is employed even though the transposing brass instruments have been notated without key signatures.
Example 1
Example 2
When a single staff line changes key signature, a single barline is employed (see example 3). In example 3, the change of key signature (following a single barline) occurs at the point where the clarinets change from instruments in A to instruments in B-flat.
Example 3
2. Cautionaries
When a change of key signature occurs at the beginning of a new system of music, a cautionary key signature should appear at the end of the previous system, preceded by a double barline (see example 4).
Example 4
If a cautionary key signature occurs in conjunction with a cautionary time signature, the cautionary key signature should precede the cautionary time signature (see example 5).
Example 5
3. Cancellation
Cancellation at key signature changes occurs in three specific instances: (1) when moving to a signature with fewer sharps/flats (see example 6); (2) when moving from a signature of flats to a signature of sharps or vice versa (see example 7); and (3) when moving from a signature with sharps/flats to a signature with no sharps/flats (see example 8). In all instances, the cancellation signature appears before the new signature and is arranged as in the original signature.
Example 6
Example 7
Example 8
When a key signature change requiring a cancellation occurs at the beginning of a system, the cancellation should appear as part of the cautionary signature at the end of the previous system (see example 9).
Example 9
Standardizing the Placement of Key Signature Changes
In some music preserved or published only in parts, the placement of key signature changes differs between parts. In these cases, an editorial choice should be made regarding the placement of the key signature change in the score (usually standardized to a measure according to a specific part, e.g., following the first violin’s key signature change). If this practice occurs frequently throughout the score, add a global statement to the editorial methods that explains the choice used throughout the edition; if the practice is rare, add critical notes detailing where the key signature change has been moved from for each affected part (e.g., M. 138, Vc., key signature change moved from m. 140).
For the complete Recent Researches in Music Style Guide, click here (PDF).
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