New in Mozart 12
Mozart 12 was released in November 2014.
It introduced the following new features.
Please note: the music images on this page were created with Mozart 12. The quality of engraving provided by the current version is much improved in many respects.
Notes: pitch range
Mozart's pitch range (previously 8 octaves) has been expanded, to cope with the highest and lowest pitched instruments, should it be desired, without 8va indications.
15ma and 15mb
Alternatively, two-octave instructions 15ma and 15mb have now been added to Mozart's 8va and 8vb options, so this (fairly unlikely) passage may be written:
A note on engraving
At about the same time as Mozart 11 appeared, a book was published: "Behind Bars" by Elaine Gould. (Faber Music 2011). This is a beautifully written and very authoritative account of how music should be laid out on the page. We're pleased to be able to report that Mozart has always done many things in ways which turn out to comply with its recommendations. However, in some ways, it does also inspire us to make some changes resulting in improved engraving, and this will be a theme running through some of the new features listed on this page.
Note-style, cues and harmonics
A new note style is available showing notes as open diamonds irrespective of their duration.
A vertical stack of notes may now include cues together with normal notes.
String harmonics may now be added:
Stems
Stems pointing outward from the centre of the stave are now automatically shortened depending on pitch.
Ties
Ties are now drawn as arcs and multiple ties between chords offer more flexibility, improving some complex cases considerably.
A bar from Artie Matthews' "Pastime Rag No 1".
Beam gradients
Beam gradients are subtly changed as part of our programme of engraving improvements.
Extended beams
Beams may now be extended over/under rests.
Default beaming patterns
Where previously Mozart has assumed a default beaming pattern for a bar of any given time signature, you are now able to define the default beaming patterns.
Some parts (typically vocal parts) may now be defined as 'unbeamed'. Parts with this definition will not be beamed automatically irrespective of the beaming pattern in use for the standard parts.
Phrase mark placement
Manual phrase mark placement is more flexible. Automatic phrase mark placement is improved making manual placement seldom necessary.
Automatically placed phrase marks now rise and fall with the melody and
may now begin and end half way along a note stem.
Phrase mark styling 1
Mozart now offers dotted phrase marks, and the choice of Bézier curves (as hitherto) or circular arcs (which may better emulate manual engraving practice).
Phrase mark styling 2
Phrase mark example
The example below, a snippet from the string parts of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (an example supplied with the program), shows some phrase marks drawn in their default positions using the 'arc' option.
Other engraving improvements
Clef indentation
Clef placement is standardised.
Accent placement
Accent placement with respect to both notes and staff lines and spaces is improved.
Leger lines
Leger line length and thickness is improved.
Multiple bars rest
The automatic generation of the geometric length of a multiple bars rest symbol is now much improved.
Rehearsal tempo
Mozart now allows the play-back tempo to be set to a given percentage of that marked:
Bracketed passages
Passages of music may now be bracketed above or below in a choice of different styles.
Text and brackets
Brackets (in all styles) may also be attached to text entries in order to apply an instruction to a passage.
Barré
Barré and Half Barré markings are now supported for classical guitar notation, with and without brackets in the various styles.
Other numbers and brackets
Other number styles are available - also with the option of attached brackets - for example to represent fret or string instructions.
Rehearsal marks
Secondary rehearsal marks are now supported.
Text alignment
Text items attached to notes and bar lines in the music may now be left, right ot centre aligned. The alignment is preserved by copy and paste, and by any reformatting of the piece.
Incomplete bars
Anacrusis
An anacrusis represents missing beats at the start of a bar. Hitherto, this was available at the start of a piece, but now it can be placed after a music break for the start of a new tune or movement, or indeed (and caveat emptor) at the start of any bar. It is indicated on the screen but is not shown on the print-out.
Truncation
A complementary object, a truncation, is now available to indicate missing beats at the end of a bar. This is designed for balancing an anacrusis in 1st and 2nd time bars.
See bar renumbering illustration.
Bar renumbering and incomplete bars
Bar numbering can now be redefined at any point in a file. This is useful for restarting numbers at a new movement or tune.
Preferred chord shapes 1
Mozart's chord dictionaries have been overhauled. For any given chord name C6, G7 etc, you can now define a 'preferred' chord shape, and this one will be used by default for the corresponding chord name. The preferred shape can be changed at any time.
Preferred chord shapes 2
Score system brackets
Brackets and braces on the score may now nest (or overlap)
Stave labels on staves with braces
Labels on staves joined by a brace may now be combined or separate.
Text and lyrics
Mozart now comes with a selection of 'Music Enhanced Text Fonts' in different styles which contain assorted symbols which are oftem missing from standard fonts. These include accidentals, chord name symbols, and an 'untertie' for elision of lyric syllables under a single note:
B♭ Clarinet
Jazz suite in F♯ minor
GΔ7♭5
the‿e-li-sion sym-bol
Clustering and attachment to clusters
Mozart now allows many more attachments of various symbols to clusters of notes, so that their relative positions are preserved when copying, pasting, and reformatting.
Dynamics are straightforwardy centred on notes.
Default stem direction
The default stem direction (up|down|centre) can now be reset at any point in any strand of music.
Bars per line
Having entered music you may now impose a given number of bars per line on any selected passage.
For shape note singers
An example written in the 4-note-shape system.
Mozart now supports notation for shape note singers with a choice of 4-shape systems (often denoted 'Sacred Harp') and 7-shape systems.
In this system, popular since the 19th century in some genres, the shape of a note head depends upon its position on the scale.
User interface
Open samples
A new command offers rapid access to the supplied examples.
Open auto saved files
The preferences dialogue now allows you to find auto-saved files more efficiently.
Context colouring
There are now two context colouring options: one which works (as hitherto) on all strands, and a new, more subtle one, which works on the active strand only.
Merge
An additional merge command makes merging consecutive notes and rests more flexible.
MusicXML format
MusicXML import has been improved:
- Compressed MusicXML files (.mxl) can now be imported directly.
- <creator> field is handled
- Import of braces and brackets on the left of the score systems is much improved..
- Import respects courtesy accidentals incl. parentheses where possible.
- Import of multiplet bracket styles is improved.
- Import of bar line styles is improved.
MusicXML export: MusicXML files may now be exported.
ABC format
ABC import: abc files may now be imported.
ABC export: abc files may now be exported.
Mozart pages copyright © 1995-2023 David Webber.