NOTATIO

I am not so sure about that. Probably she knew exactly what she wanted, there might be reasons to using this particular sign that we don't know about. After all, the same sign is replicated in the conductor's score and in the parts.

Sweden was of course a bit outside the centre of action on the ...

Outdated or not, she is using : for all abbreviations, also ff: dim: and fz: for instance. Also very common is chained slurs, not on this page though.

That could also fit the bill. There are lots of > and fz, this page is the only one with the square markings. For context, see attached the page in question. Probably marcato is more likely. There are two scores and one set of parts, all MS, all have the same markings.

Skärmbild 2026-08-30 110731 ...

Flute, oboe and clarinet.

Helena Munktell, Suite symphonique. It is from 1895.

I am leaning towards portato. She is not using any standard _-signs in the piece at all, just this square sign for a few notes in this particular movement.

Hi all,

what could this symbol mean?
The u-like symbol for unstressed comes to mind, but this one is square as you can see.
Orchestral music, beginning of 20th century or before, woodwind parts only (if that might be a clue).

I was actually a bit mistaken there. As John pointed out, the note before the barline is already an A. The flat doesn’t carry across the bar, so my reasoning didn’t apply here — even though it happened to lead to the same conclusion.

I think that harpsi has honed in on Bach's actual usage. Bach doesn't repeat accidentals for two (or more) of the same notes in direct succession , even if the second note is on the other side of a bar line . If so, Bach has made no errors in either case and Flesch has the correct accidentals in ...

1) A :f in the upper voice A :n in the lower voice (before the barline).


Ah, now I see what you mean. Bach usually repeats the accidentals, so because of that the lower voice certainly could be read as an a. You are right, I did not think about that.


2) F before the barline; F (nothing) and ...

If you refer to the a/ab at the end of the bar, I believe this is an instance of an implied natural -- the obvious a natural from after the barline should be played before the barline (see my post above).