Question on Tempo terminology

[Jim Winters]

I have a score here from Bach transcribed and edited for clarinet from Partita No. 2, originally for violin. Its tempo marking
denotes a quarter note, an equal sign (=) and then (without quotation marks) "c.88" .

I am not familiar with this kind of terminology. What does the "c.88" indicate? I am used to something like "quarter note = 88",
say. Is it correct to assume that "quarter note = c.88" is equivalent to "quarter note = 88" and simply means 88 qarter note beats
per minute? What does the author mean by "c.88"?

Thanks for any info on this issue.

Jim

[Bob Pease]

Post by Jim Winters
I have a score here from Bach transcribed and edited for clarinet from

Partita No. 2, originally for violin. Its tempo marking

Post by Jim Winters
denotes a quarter note, an equal sign (=) and then (without quotation marks) "c.88" .
I am not familiar with this kind of terminology. What does the "c.88"

indicate? I am used to something like "quarter note = 88",

Post by Jim Winters
say. Is it correct to assume that "quarter note = c.88" is equivalent to

"quarter note = 88" and simply means 88 qarter note beats

Post by Jim Winters
per minute? What does the author mean by "c.88"?
Thanks for any info on this issue.
Jim

"c" is a latin abbreviation fro "Circum" meaning "Approximately"
Usually it grants some licence to the preformesr/conductor as to tempo. but
not as wide as the usual Largo ==> presto scale



RJ Pease

[Richard White]

Post by Jim Winters
I have a score here from Bach transcribed and edited for clarinet from

Partita No. 2, originally for violin. Its tempo marking

Post by Jim Winters
denotes a quarter note, an equal sign (=) and then (without quotation marks) "c.88" .
I am not familiar with this kind of terminology. What does the "c.88"

indicate? I am used to something like "quarter note = 88",

Post by Jim Winters
say. Is it correct to assume that "quarter note = c.88" is equivalent

to "quarter note = 88" and simply means 88 qarter note beats

Post by Jim Winters
per minute? What does the author mean by "c.88"?
Thanks for any info on this issue.
Jim

c. means 'circa' - Latin for "about" or "approximately."

Richard White

[Charlton Wilbur]

JW> I have a score here from Bach transcribed and edited for
JW> clarinet from Partita No. 2, originally for violin. Its tempo
JW> marking denotes a quarter note, an equal sign (=) and then
JW> (without quotation marks) "c.88" .

As the other posters have said, it means 'about.' The metronome was
invented long after Bach, and so the metronome markings are the
editor's suggestion.

Charlton

[Jim Winters]

Thanks everybody for the clarification - it makes perfectly sense. I was just not familiar
with this kind of notation and was thus somewhat uncertain. Thanks again.

Jim