(Perhaps somewhat unusually) I understand how a transposed score works, but I don't understand the details of how "concert score" works – it's not as simple as: show every note at sounding pitch.
I am trying to read a concert score [Romeo & Juliet, Op. 64 – Prokofiev], and I'm finding it more difficult that reading a transposed score.
In particular:
- piccolo seems* to be at written pitch rather than sounding pitch
- cor anglais (english horn) is shown in alto clef
- bass clarinet is shown in bass clef
- tenor saxophone is shown in bass clef
- bassoons are shown in bass clef, when tenor clef would be more appropriate
- contrabassoon seems* to be at written pitch
- french horns are changing between bass and treble clefs
- trombones are shown in alto clef
- contrabass (double bass) seems* to be at written pitch
[*] While the piccolo, contrabassoon, and double bass parts seem to be at written pitch, maybe I'm misinterpreting these parts (the notes shown aren't exactly out of range, but it seems unlikely they are at sounding pitch).
What exactly are the rules/conventions for writing a concert score?
- Which instruments aren't shown at concert pitch?
- Which clefs (that normally wouldn't be used) are used?
Who is a concert score written for?