3. MARCO CONCEPTUAL
3.1 LA SISTEMATIZACION DE EXPERIENCIAS
Sibelius’s built-in MusicXML 2.0 file convertor allows you to open MusicXML files created in a number of music applications, including Finale version 2003 and later and SharpEye.
The purpose of the file convertor is to save you time, not to convert every score so that it is identical to the original.
What is MusicXML?
MusicXML is an interchange file format for music notation applications. It provides a better way to transfer notation between different programs than other formats such as MIDI files.
Creating MusicXML files in Finale
How you create MusicXML files in Finale depends on the version of Finale you are using: Finale 2006 or later: choose FileMusicXMLExport
Finale 2003, 2004 or 2005 (Windows only): choose Plug-insMusicXMLExport
If you are using Finale 2004 or Finale 2005 on Mac OS X, or are using a version earlier than Finale 2003 on Windows, you will require the separate Dolet plug-in to export MusicXML files, which can be purchased from www.recordare.com. If you are using Dolet, you can export a MusicXML file by choosing Plug-insMusicXMLExport MusicXML.
Opening a MusicXML file
MusicXML files typically have one of two file extensions: uncompressed MusicXML files have the extension .xml, and compressed MusicXML 2.0 or later files have the extension .mxl. Sibelius can open MusicXML files with either extension.
Open a MusicXML file just like a normal Sibelius file: simply choose FileOpen (shortcut Ctrl+O or O), locate the file, and click Open. Sibelius will show a dialog, shown on the right, with the following options:
Use page and staff size from MusicXML file is switched on by default if the MusicXML file you are opening is version 1.1 or later; this tells Sibelius to try and preserve the page and staff size of the MusicXML file. If you switch this off, you can set the paper size and orientation for the imported MusicXML file, and Sibelius will use the default staff size as determined by the house style chosen below in the dialog.
Use layout and formatting from MusicXML file is also switched on by default if the MusicXML file is version 1.1 or later; when switched on, Sibelius will try to preserve the layout and formatting (e.g. distances between staves, system and page breaks, etc.) of the original MusicXML file. If you switch this off, Sibelius will effectively unlock the format of the resulting score, using its default layout and formatting.
House style allows you to import a specific house style into the resulting score; if you leave this set to Unchanged, Sibelius will use its default house style. If you choose another house style,
File note that the page size and staff size specified in the house style will not be used in the resulting score unless you switch off Use page and staff size from MusicXML file.
Let Sibelius choose instruments tells Sibelius to attempt to automatically identify the instru- ments in the MusicXML file. If you find that Sibelius creates the wrong instruments, import the file again, and switch this option off, which will prompt Sibelius to show you the following dialog after you click OK:
Instruments in file at the left-hand side shows the individual parts in the MusicXML file In the order that the staves are displayed in the Instruments in file list, choose the Sibelius
instruments you want to use for each part (rather like in the Instruments dialog); either double-click the instrument or click Add to add it to the Instruments to create list at the right-hand side of the dialog.
When all of the parts have been mapped onto Sibelius instruments, the OK button becomes enabled; click this to finish opening the file.
Use instrument names from MusicXML file tells Sibelius to set the instrument names at the start of systems to the names specified in the MusicXML file. If you want Sibelius to use its own default instrument names instead, switch this option off.
When you have set the options as you wish, click OK, and the MusicXML file will be imported. You can then check and edit the file as necessary.
Warning messages
Some MusicXML files may contain errors, which will be displayed in a dialog listing each error and the location at which it occurred in the file you are opening. Each error may be one of three kinds: Fatal errors: if the file is not valid XML, this is a fatal error, and it cannot be opened at all Validation errors: if the file is valid XML, but the specific syntax of the MusicXML elements con-
tains errors or inconsistencies, then Sibelius will attempt to open the file, but the resulting score may have unexpected problems in it, and you should proceed with caution
Warnings: the XML validator sometimes reports warnings about the XML files when they are
opened. These should not normally prevent the file from opening correctly.
Importing MusicXML files saved in a sequencer
MusicXML files, especially those created in sequencers with no notation capabilities, may fail to produce any legible notation at all.
Supported versions
Sibelius’s MusicXML converter is based around MusicXML 2.0. Files created in earlier MusicXML formats open correctly, provided they are valid. Files created with future versions of MusicXML should also open, though new features will not be imported.
Sibelius can only open MusicXML files that use the partwise.dtd top-level DTD (Document Type Definition). If your file uses the timewise.dtd DTD, you will need to use XSLT to convert your timewise MusicXML file into a partwise MusicXML file. One such convertor is available online at:
http://www2.freeweb.hu/mozartmusic/pttp/converter.html. Batch conversion
Sibelius includes a plug-in to convert a complete folder full of MusicXML files at once. To use it, choose HomePlug-insBatch ProcessingConvert Folder of MusicXML Files. Sibelius converts each MusicXML file it finds in the specified folder, saving each one as a Sibelius score under the same filename as the original MusicXML file.
Limitations
The limitations of Sibelius’s MusicXML import feature are summarized below:
Feature Limitation
Articulations Some articulations may be positioned on the wrong side of a note or chord. The technical and ornaments elements are not imported.
Barlines If different staves have different barline types simultaneously, Sibelius will use the barline type of the uppermost part.
Heavy, heavy-light and heavy-heavy barlines are not imported.
Beams Sub-beams do not import.
Chord symbols Some chord symbols may not be imported (when they are using a function element). MusicXML specifies that all chord symbols go above the top staff in a part only.
The kind instances Neapolitan, Italian, French, German, pedal (pedal-point bass) and
Tristan are all imported as major chords.
If the function element is not present in the harmony element, the chord symbol is not imported. Clefs Special percussion and tab clefs available in MusicXML will be replaced with the closest matching clef
available in Sibelius.
MusicXML is not capable of differentiating between clefs at the start or end of a bar.
Cross-stave notes MusicXML files that use a number of voices across staves may import some notes on the wrong staff. Files containing chords with notes in different staves are not imported correctly.
End repeat lines The positioning of end repeat lines may need manual adjustment after they have been imported. Key signatures Only major and minor modes are recognized for the mode element.
If the fifths element is missing, the key signature will be imported as an atonal key signature. Other key child elements (e.g. key-step and key-alter) are ignored.
If a part has more than one staff, key signatures may be omitted from one or more of those staves. Key signatures that fall after the barline in some other music notation programs may fall behind the barline in Sibelius.
Layout Sibelius can only use one page size for the entire score being imported.
Objects that are only graphically offset in the file may have an impact on playback in Sibelius. Lyrics The laughing, humming, end-line, end-paragraph and editorial elements are ignored.
File Metronome marks Metronome marks containing 256th, 128th, 64th and long (breve) notes are not imported by Sibelius.
All metronome marks adopt Sibelius’s default positions.
Only metronome marks in the top staff of the uppermost part are read by the XML importer. Metronome marks may be duplicated if the uppermost part in the file has more than one staff. Ornaments Some ornaments will not be imported. Mordents, trills and turns are imported.
Rests Extra rests resulting from multiple voices on the same staff are automatically removed, but some extra rests may still occur, e.g. in cross-staff passages.
Slur The continue attribute is not imported.
The entity attributes position and bezier are not imported.
placement and orientation are not imported. Symbols Symbols are not imported.
Staves Changes of staff type are not imported.
Stems The stem values none and double are not imported.
Text Some text items are imported via the dynamics element, but none of the dynamics attributes are imported.
Specific figured bass elements such as parentheses, elision and extend are not imported. The directive element is not imported.
Ties The tie element is ignored completely; only ties specified by the tied element are imported. The number attribute is ignored.
All ties are imported as solid ties.
The position, placement, orientation, bezier-offset, bezier-x and bezier-y attributes are not imported.
Time signatures Sibelius will not import compound time signatures (e.g. 2/4 + 6/8), but beat divisions that occur only in the numerator (e.g. 2+3 / 4) will be imported.
Senza-misura elements are not imported.
The single-number attribute value for symbol is not imported (if present it is imported as normal) If different time signatures occur in different staves simultaneously, Sibelius will use the time signa- ture from the uppermost staff.
Tuplets Some versions of the Dolet plug-in for Finale don’t place the start and stop elements of tuplets in the right place, which may cause tuplets to import incorrectly.
The tuplet attributes placement, position, show-type, show-number, bracket and line- shape are not imported.