Posted by Steve Dedman on July 01, 2001 at 20:30:09:
In Reply to: Bruckner > vs. Bruckner ^ posted by Tubist on July 01, 2001 at 19:55:56:
I have always been taught that:
">" (accent) indicates emphasis, not attack; a definite, emphasized beginning to the note, followed by a taper. The degree and length of the taper is determined by the musical context. More an indication of weight than of articulation.
"^" indicates a combination of ">" accent with a pointed attack. More of an articulation indication.
Think of the beginning of the finale to Mahler 6: the dotted 8th notes are indicated with ">", even though the dynamic is piano. I can't recall an instance where I've seen that "^" articulation in a soft passage. (That doesn't mean it can't happen, just that I can't recall it.)
Of course, if I've been misled all of these years, I'll gladly accept correction.