Re: hairpins default stop at barline

[Kieren MacMillan]

Hi Gianmaria,

> Could you please confirm me that in music language this means crescendo
> ends on 'f4.' (d8' has the lower intensity and 'f4' the higher)

The second part of your statement is correct: the notation implies that d 
should have a lower intensity/volume, and the f a higher intensity/volume.

However, it is very hard to tell, from the imprecise engraving, whether the 
crescendo should end at the moment the note begins, or sometime after that 
(i.e., during the duration of the note itself). That ambiguity is precisely the 
reason that many engravers — and most acknowledged experts on notation (such as 
Elaine Gould) — recommend ending the hairpin at [or, actually, just before] the 
barline.

Hopefully that explains why Lilypond’s default is set the way it is.

Regards,
Kieren.

________________________________

Kieren MacMillan, composer
‣ website: www.kierenmacmillan.info
‣ email: address@hidden