Re: How do you tell tempo for indications in English (music question, not Lilypond question)

[Tim Reeves]

>What you are asking, it seems is, 'what speed is 'cheerful''? 
>Which doesn't makes much sense. 



I disagree... at least in part.
I think that there is a range of speeds that most musicians would say 
"Yes, that is cheerful." when they hear it.
In other words it requires some musicality, some judgment, since it is 
less prescriptive than the Beethoven score where he writes half-note = 72.

There are certainly tempos which are not cheerful (e.g. quarter-note = 
52).

If you "get it wrong" in the MIDI file, don't feel bad. 
I've heard, for example, performances of Tchaikovsky's Fifth by 
professional orchestras (I know, it's the conductors fault, not the 
orchestra's) where the second movement was painfully slow - just WRONG to 
my ears (...and it's much harder to play the horn solo well ;-)

I'm sure there's more variability (of performance tempi) in Irish folk 
tunes than in Tchaikovsky symphonies, so it is to be expected.
Besides, I don't think anyone will confuse a MIDI "performance" with a 
live performance, and place too high an expectation on authenticity.


Tim Reeves