Workarounds for impressionistic music

[Mike Solomon]

Hey all,

For class the other day, I had to typeset a Debussy example, and I found that 
Lilypond does not like some of the hairier passages in Debussy.  To wit:

<snip>
\version "2.13.46"

tuptrans = { \override TupletBracket #'transparent = ##t
\override TupletNumber #'transparent = ##t
}

arps = \relative c, {
\key aes \major
\override TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\time 3/4
\tuptrans
\times 4/5 {
\stemUp
\once \override Voice . NoteHead #'duration-log = 1
aes16 [ ( \set fontSize = #-3 ees'32 ] b'64 \change Staff = "up" \stemDown c 
ees aes c \change Staff = "down" \stemUp ees f ees
\change Staff = "up" \stemDown c aes ees c \change Staff = "down" \stemUp bes [ 
ees, ) ] }
\times 16/22 {
aes,16. [ ( ees'32 ] b'64 \change Staff = "up" \stemDown c ees aes c \change 
Staff = "down" \stemUp ees f ees
\change Staff = "up" \stemDown c aes ees c \change Staff = "down" \stemUp bes [ 
ees, ) ] }
<< {
\times 2/5 { \stemUp 
\set fontSize = #0 c16 [ ( \set fontSize = #-3 g' e' \change Staff = "up" 
\stemDown \clef treble g c d e g c ) ] r } } \\
{\tuptrans
 \times 2/5 { s16 s s s s s s s \change Staff = "up" \stemUp  \set fontSize = 
#-3  c16 s } }
>>
|


\times 16/20 {
\change Staff = "down"
\stemUp
\set fontSize = #0
\once \override Voice . NoteHead #'duration-log = 1
des,,,16 [ ( \set fontSize = #-3 aes'32 ] e'64 \change Staff = "up" \stemDown 
\clef bass f aes des ees! \change Staff = "down" \stemUp \clef treble aes des 
ees des aes
\change Staff = "up" \stemDown ees des aes f }
\times 16/17 {
\change Staff = "down"
\stemUp
\clef bass aes,64 [ ( e'64 \change Staff = "up" \clef bass \stemDown f aes des 
ees! \change Staff = "down" \stemUp \clef treble aes des ees des aes
\change Staff = "up" \stemDown ees des aes f \change Staff = "down" \stemUp 
\clef bass e aes, ) ] }
s4 |
}

bass = \relative c, {
\once \override TextScript #'self-alignment-X = #RIGHT
\stemDown
aes2 \stemDown  c8 \stemDown bes
\change Staff = "down" \set fontSize = #0
\stemDown des2 ees,4
}


\score {
\new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff = "up" { \key aes \major \clef bass s2. s2 r4 }
\new Staff = "down" { \clef bass << \arps  \\ \bass >> }
>>
}
</snip>

You'll see several questionable things in Lilypond's standard output, including:

1. Beam / staff collisions.
2. 64th note beams that seem too thick for the music they contain.
3. Slur / staff collisions.
4. Slur / clef collisions.
5. Slurs that reach down too far, which causes a large hump @ the top.  
Usually, in this style, the slur tips are far away from the bookend notes in 
the arpeggio, allowing slurs to be flatter at their apogees.

Before I start meddling with the source, are there workarounds to deal with 
these 5 issues?

Cheers,
MS