Also, in the case of two notes to a wind or brass part, the conductor would automatically know which player was playing which note. The top note is always given to the first player, and the lower note to the second player, unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, no need for a marking - it's understood.
Finally, the whole reason for the divisi marking in the first place is that two or three (even four) notes may be played at once by a string instrument. Divisi lets the players know to divide rather than playing double or triple stops.
Wonderful description of the art of orchestration and description of the best books on orchestration. Please tell us something about yourself. I greatly appreciated your knowledge and excellent commentary on the subject and the books. Thank you.
Thanks for these videos! I'm starting my studies of orchestration now, and I'm starting with Piston's book, but to have all these books in my hard drive is a real treat. Again, thanks for sharing this information. It's all very helpful!
Hi Israel - "divisi" is used only for strings, to let them know that two or more notes on one beat will be divided between members of the section. This is not used in winds or brass, which use a different system. The score should read whether both players are playing at once, or just the first or second (or third in the case of trumpets). Either "I"/"II"/"I&II" - or 1º/2º/a2 - or a mixture of the two. I myself use "I"/"II"/a2. Each player will receive a part with only their notes, plus cues.
Unless you are dealing with wind ensemble music, where it is quite common to see the flutes, for example, or even a subset like 2nd flutes with a divisi part (with how that is divided depending on the number of musicians in the ensemble on that instrument)
Good on you. Read the Piston first - it is clear, straightforward, and fast-moving. Then the Adler goes into enormous detail about everything, and has some good advice about scoring. It's almost like Book 1 and Book 2.
@composingchef Good on you for buying the books! Dover is a righteous reprint company, and they could use the support. But not only that, you can thumb through the books rather than fiddling around with a screen. I own all of these myself, and prefer hard copy - but how nice that the starving composer-in-training does not have to give up eating lunch for a day in order to read one of these tomes. See you on the next video!
If I'm not mistaken, Thomas has the Keystation 61es. I own three of these because I built a virtual organ with them. It's a semi-weighted keyboard that works perfectly for organ work because of this. If you inquired because you were on the fence about buying one of these, I'd recommend them highly. They're *terrible* if you want to practice piano, but great for just about anything else.
Well, you have to remember that the mid-19th century was the great era of instrument design and experimentation. He may have heard about the bass oboe, maybe even seen one, but felt that the instruments were not yet reliable enough or common enough for him to write into a score. Remember that he was a huge champion of the designs of Adolphe Sax, but seems to have rarely scored for saxophones, saxhorns, or other developments of the great Belgian.
As I've said a couple times before, Piston is the best book to start on. Then read the Adler when you know that you are going to have the time and take the subject more seriously (as in studying the subject professionally).
Yes, but read the Piston first, or the Adler. You need a solid grounding in present-day understanding of how the orchestra works. Then build on that by examining other perspectives, including outdated ones like those I mention in this video. Don't start with Forsyth or Berlioz.
Thank you for all these great videos you do, it really helps a lot. If you ever have the time one day, could you do one on how to copyright your works?
@ChiZ712 : Yes Mastroe Adler's manual does touch on it a little. I had the fortune to meet him back 1996 and even then he emphasized the need for further explorartion in this area. not so much rock band + orchestra ( as they have such a different reality) but amplifying other aspects of sound i.e. contact mics, treating instruments with fx combining performance with samples in the way another generation used tape.
It's purely a dummy keyboard - I don't even think about playability. But what's great is that it weighs almost nothing, and it's USB. I don't know how available they are now, but 10 years ago every shop had them and they were dirt cheap. I bought that one for about $150 US. Anything with weighted keys is going to cost a lot more than that, and be much heavier - which for the purposes of note entry is unnecessary.
@gerastiman The old orchestras of his time had a different style of playing, only preserved in later Soviet-era recordings. The brass would really go for it, hitting the cuivré button much of the time, while the string sections could be quite large, playing with a ferocious edge on crescendos. Winds could tend to a coarser tone, especially the double-reeds. The theaters in which they played were quite different from Western halls. Of course, that doesn't mean you're necessarily wrong...
There is an outstanding interactive version of the Rimsky-Korsakov on northernsounds (dot) com/forum/forumdisplay.php/77-Principles-of-Orchestration-On-line which has all the examples at hand and you can listen to them right away.
The Clarke is worth a look, but it's more about workmanlike, basic arranging than it is a practical manual or guide to inspired orchestration. He does have some interesting insights about chord voicings and the harmonic series. Don't ever think that any of what's on IMSLP will substitute for Piston or Adler. They're fascinating, but dated perspectives.
I'm a choral person, but I have made a few attempts at orchestration. Orchestrating by inputting parts directly into Sibelius facilitates working with transposing instruments and their ranges, and gives a basic feeling for textures, but in the final analysis, you really need a composer's ear to develop a satisfactory orchestration style. Who was the famous composer who said to his composition class at the first meeting, "So you want to be composers? What are you doing here then? Go out and compose!" Or something to that effect. The point here is, if you are a gifted composer, you don't need someone to tell you how to compose. To a degree, the same can be said about orchestration. Exposure to orchestras, either as a player, conductor or listener is the best resource to become a good orchestrator. Unfortunately few people get to opportunity to have their orchestrations played to learn from their mistakes. I suspect that hearing your efforts played is the best resource of all. My advice to teachers of classes in orchestration would be to offer opportunities for their student to have their assignments played. I have attended conducting classes where the students played their instruments in an ensemble augmented by other students in the school. That might be a good solution at a school with adequate resources for classes in orchestration.
The Gould is good, but I use Kurt Stone's book myself. As for the Stiller - that's a bit hard to get ahold of, from what I understand - but still very informative, if not exhaustive.
I think you may have missed some of the important points that I make in my video. I ultimately stress the importance of having a contemporary text as a primary resource, like the Sam Adler or the Walter Piston. But I also underline the sense that historical perspectives are important for a broader understanding of orchestration - much of what is written in these texts has not changed, and appears nowhere else.
Thank you so much for this video, I am currently writing music for an orchestraiton to be played (with midi) behind a band resembling the caveman band in the video. I'll be syncing it up, and writing it in tandem with World War One footage, I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again, the Forsyth book seems like a blast to read, can't wait to download it!
Hello Thomas, thank you very much to share your time and knowledge! I'm bass player and I compose for my jazz band here in Colombia. I'm from Switzerland but I live in Bogotá. I'm very interest to learn about orchestration and to write films scores. I think I've seen all your videos. Is this one the last? I'm looking for amore technical part of orchestration. I've been trying to by the Adler book but they don't send it to Colombia! Maby you have an idea how can I get it? My regards.Nathalie.
@axellidenbrock Most American orchestration teachers, including myself, are fully aware of this book, and copies are in many conservatory libraries. Unfortunately, there is no English translation yet, and it is very expensive to purchase and import. Think of the practicalities - you are asking why a four-volume, exhaustive treatise is not well read in a country which speaks little French, and to which many shorter books in English are not just available, but assigned at university. That is why.
@tonyvoid All due respect to Prof. Adler, I think it would take a whole separate book to cover the craft of crossover orchestration. I'll be making a series on this soon - have been delaying while awaiting approval on a project which could be incorporated as part of the series.
I understand your point. Thanks for your answer. Translate the Koechlin's would a very big challenge. Surely you know the text of William Lovelock "The elements of orchestral arrangement", recently I made a spanish version. It deserves to be reprinted.
O para decirlo mejor en español. Me parecen excelentes sus videos, una pequeña observación, debería mencionar a Koechlin, aunque no esté en inglés. Es un tratado muy importante que comprende aspectos que no se encuentran en otros tratados. Quizás estimule a la gente de lengua inglesa a buscar el libro en las bibliotecas de los conservatorios. Felicitaciones por su trabajo. Disfruto mucho sus videos y me parece una muy generosa iniciativa.
@gentrytunes Areas of obsolescence: range and construction of instruments; technical limitations; wind key systems, especially as applied to shakes and trills; brass valve and trigger developments; overall viewpoint and philosophy; some notation rules for winds and brass; inclusion of outdated instruments; blind spots for authors in the music of other countries current to first publication; and other details. If your college book was too basic, get the Adler next. These books are no substitute.
Sorry to but in, but I'd also recommend Stiller's "Handbook of Instrumentation" for a little more in-depth stuff and Behind Bars by Elaine Gould (a very good new book) which will help with idiomatic notation.
@axellidenbrock Gracias por tu comentario. I have great respect and appreciation for the music and musicians of Venezuela. I understand your question - and if I had the time, the skills, and a publisher, I would translate the Koechlin myself. It stands equal to any other orchestration text, and has many unique features. Please understand - we who teach orchestration all know about this book, and we use many of its teachings, even if we are not able to assign it due to the language barrier.
Aw, man! I bought all these books over the years. I only found your You Tube page today. Oh well, thanks for all you are doing. I look forward to watching your vids and learning a lot. :) I believe I'm a pretty good composer, I just know that my orchestration is not as "good" as it should be. Onward...
Thanks guys! Do you know of any that would be good for piano practice but around this cheap price range? I'm not looking for something super realistic, just something decent.
@NedMcPhie I see the problem - TH-cam changed their text protocols so that the end parentheses are no longer read in a hyperlink...duh! Also, every URL of IMSLP linking to an individual work now ends with an end parenthesis. I've updated the text so that it links to the composer pages (and then you can look up the manuals alphabetically), but this is pretty silly of both TH-cam and IMSLP.
@carloselemesmo I've seen copies for sale on the internet from time to time, sometimes for 30-40 Euros, sometimes 3-4X that much. You have to shop around. If your French is good, since you are studying in France, then you just need to read the university copies there, many many times I would say. Good luck with that, and I hope Dover publishes a translation someday.
@carloselemesmo I don't know it a Portuguese language translation was ever made, but if so I'm sure it is very rare. You can purchase copies in French with no problem, but it will cost a few Euros. Someday, I would love to update this precious manual myself and translate it into English.
Where do you suggest that a complete beginner should start with orchestration? I can play a bit of the keyboard and know some decent theory, but when I tried reading the Sam Adler book, my head was spinning trying to comprehend it all. What are you suggestions regarding a complete beginner such as myself to start out with?
Have you read _The Technique of Orchestration_ by Kent Kennan? While I am aware that it's not in the public domain, thus not seen in IMSLP, I wonder if this is a could book as well.
How do you find that M-Audio keyboard you have? I'm considering buying the same model, but I'm not sure if I should save up for something with fully weighted keys instead. Is it good to play on?
If i can get Samuel Alders The study of Orchestration 3rd edition,and bearing in mind it takes ages to read a book what would best for my FIRST Orchestration book.Alders one or Walter Pistons Orchestration 1969.I have very basic knowledge of instruments too.Also which one do you think explains it the simplest with best examples.Im trying to slim line this pile of books and prioritize to get the best reading for the time i got.
I do sort of get the thing with the historical perspective. I was just a little sceptical to suddenly find myself reading hundreds of pages with details that may not be that useful today. So you are recommending owning what the composers you mentioned have published on orchestration? Are there other manuals that aren't dated, but I may have to pay a little bit for?
Look. You should start with a contemporary text. That should be your baseline. I've already said, and I say it in the video: Adler or Piston (or both). Then, when you really really understand what the current thought is on orchestration, look at these older texts. You will be able to sift the irrelevant data, IF you take my advice and have a thorough grounding in what's possible today, FIRST. Then the rest is easy.
I have read them all. The Rimsky's I found in a paperback edition at a newspaper shop in Grand Central Terminal NY of all places. I think the only instrument R Strauss never scored for is the Alto Flute in G. Berlioz mentions the bass oboe but never used it, that was très stupide !
Are these over 100 year old manuals really this useful as of today? I'm just asking before I start reading. Haven't several instruments been altered/improved or commonly added/removed in orchestral music since then?
I'm sorry, but I don't know what the problem is. None of my videos are blocked, and no one else is reporting problems. Maybe the problem is with your server. Please stop worrying about it, and try again tomorrow.
In all honesty, you'd be better off just getting an actual piano. Depending on how large the city you live in/by, people are always selling uprights rather cheap, sometimes free because they don't want them anymore. When practicing for piano performance, semi-decent digital keyboards are a gamble because the key weights aren't as 'real' as the real thing, forcing one to practice improperly. Mine as well go for the real thing!
Also, in the case of two notes to a wind or brass part, the conductor would automatically know which player was playing which note. The top note is always given to the first player, and the lower note to the second player, unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, no need for a marking - it's understood.
Finally, the whole reason for the divisi marking in the first place is that two or three (even four) notes may be played at once by a string instrument. Divisi lets the players know to divide rather than playing double or triple stops.
Thanks for going over these texts briefly- I might come back to them once I've finished reading my Adler book on orchestration. Thanks again!
Wonderful description of the art of orchestration and description of the best books on orchestration. Please tell us something about yourself. I greatly appreciated your knowledge and excellent commentary on the subject and the books. Thank you.
Thank you for the time and the effort that has gone into this video. It is much appreciated and I'm sure everyone else feels the same way. :) thanks.
Thanks for these videos! I'm starting my studies of orchestration now, and I'm starting with Piston's book, but to have all these books in my hard drive is a real treat. Again, thanks for sharing this information. It's all very helpful!
Appreciation. Nice overview, helpful. Added the Widor (and Forsyths) to our growing stash of PD pdfs.
Hi Israel - "divisi" is used only for strings, to let them know that two or more notes on one beat will be divided between members of the section. This is not used in winds or brass, which use a different system. The score should read whether both players are playing at once, or just the first or second (or third in the case of trumpets). Either "I"/"II"/"I&II" - or 1º/2º/a2 - or a mixture of the two. I myself use "I"/"II"/a2. Each player will receive a part with only their notes, plus cues.
Unless you are dealing with wind ensemble music, where it is quite common to see the flutes, for example, or even a subset like 2nd flutes with a divisi part (with how that is divided depending on the number of musicians in the ensemble on that instrument)
Good on you. Read the Piston first - it is clear, straightforward, and fast-moving. Then the Adler goes into enormous detail about everything, and has some good advice about scoring. It's almost like Book 1 and Book 2.
@composingchef Good on you for buying the books! Dover is a righteous reprint company, and they could use the support. But not only that, you can thumb through the books rather than fiddling around with a screen. I own all of these myself, and prefer hard copy - but how nice that the starving composer-in-training does not have to give up eating lunch for a day in order to read one of these tomes. See you on the next video!
If I'm not mistaken, Thomas has the Keystation 61es. I own three of these because I built a virtual organ with them. It's a semi-weighted keyboard that works perfectly for organ work because of this.
If you inquired because you were on the fence about buying one of these, I'd recommend them highly. They're *terrible* if you want to practice piano, but great for just about anything else.
Well, you have to remember that the mid-19th century was the great era of instrument design and experimentation. He may have heard about the bass oboe, maybe even seen one, but felt that the instruments were not yet reliable enough or common enough for him to write into a score. Remember that he was a huge champion of the designs of Adolphe Sax, but seems to have rarely scored for saxophones, saxhorns, or other developments of the great Belgian.
As I've said a couple times before, Piston is the best book to start on. Then read the Adler when you know that you are going to have the time and take the subject more seriously (as in studying the subject professionally).
@NedMcPhie Thanks for the heads-up, I will check these out and update soon.
Yes, but read the Piston first, or the Adler. You need a solid grounding in present-day understanding of how the orchestra works. Then build on that by examining other perspectives, including outdated ones like those I mention in this video. Don't start with Forsyth or Berlioz.
OrchestrationOnline zThis hint is quite helpful for me. Thanks.
Thank you for all these great videos you do, it really helps a lot. If you ever have the time one day, could you do one on how to copyright your works?
@ChiZ712 : Yes Mastroe Adler's manual does touch on it a little. I had the fortune to meet him back 1996 and even then he emphasized the need for further explorartion in this area. not so much rock band + orchestra ( as they have such a different reality) but amplifying other aspects of sound i.e. contact mics, treating instruments with fx combining performance with samples in the way another generation used tape.
Wonderful... added to my References Collection
It's purely a dummy keyboard - I don't even think about playability. But what's great is that it weighs almost nothing, and it's USB. I don't know how available they are now, but 10 years ago every shop had them and they were dirt cheap. I bought that one for about $150 US. Anything with weighted keys is going to cost a lot more than that, and be much heavier - which for the purposes of note entry is unnecessary.
The solo for high clarinet in D in his opera ballet MLADA is worth listening to.
@gerastiman The old orchestras of his time had a different style of playing, only preserved in later Soviet-era recordings. The brass would really go for it, hitting the cuivré button much of the time, while the string sections could be quite large, playing with a ferocious edge on crescendos. Winds could tend to a coarser tone, especially the double-reeds. The theaters in which they played were quite different from Western halls. Of course, that doesn't mean you're necessarily wrong...
There is an outstanding interactive version of the Rimsky-Korsakov on northernsounds (dot) com/forum/forumdisplay.php/77-Principles-of-Orchestration-On-line which has all the examples at hand and you can listen to them right away.
a great gift! thanks soo much for making this video!
The Clarke is worth a look, but it's more about workmanlike, basic arranging than it is a practical manual or guide to inspired orchestration. He does have some interesting insights about chord voicings and the harmonic series. Don't ever think that any of what's on IMSLP will substitute for Piston or Adler. They're fascinating, but dated perspectives.
Thanks for the resource!
I'm a choral person, but I have made a few attempts at orchestration. Orchestrating by inputting parts directly into Sibelius facilitates working with transposing instruments and their ranges, and gives a basic feeling for textures, but in the final analysis, you really need a composer's ear to develop a satisfactory orchestration style. Who was the famous composer who said to his composition class at the first meeting, "So you want to be composers? What are you doing here then? Go out and compose!" Or something to that effect. The point here is, if you are a gifted composer, you don't need someone to tell you how to compose. To a degree, the same can be said about orchestration. Exposure to orchestras, either as a player, conductor or listener is the best resource to become a good orchestrator.
Unfortunately few people get to opportunity to have their orchestrations played to learn from their mistakes. I suspect that hearing your efforts played is the best resource of all. My advice to teachers of classes in orchestration would be to offer opportunities for their student to have their assignments played. I have attended conducting classes where the students played their instruments in an ensemble augmented by other students in the school. That might be a good solution at a school with adequate resources for classes in orchestration.
The Gould is good, but I use Kurt Stone's book myself. As for the Stiller - that's a bit hard to get ahold of, from what I understand - but still very informative, if not exhaustive.
I think you may have missed some of the important points that I make in my video. I ultimately stress the importance of having a contemporary text as a primary resource, like the Sam Adler or the Walter Piston. But I also underline the sense that historical perspectives are important for a broader understanding of orchestration - much of what is written in these texts has not changed, and appears nowhere else.
Awesome - thank you, sir!
Thank you so much for this video, I am currently writing music for an orchestraiton to be played (with midi) behind a band resembling the caveman band in the video. I'll be syncing it up, and writing it in tandem with World War One footage, I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again, the Forsyth book seems like a blast to read, can't wait to download it!
Hello Thomas, thank you very much to share your time and knowledge! I'm bass player and I compose for my jazz band here in Colombia. I'm from Switzerland but I live in Bogotá. I'm very interest to learn about orchestration and to write films scores. I think I've seen all your videos. Is this one the last? I'm looking for amore technical part of orchestration. I've been trying to by the Adler book but they don't send it to Colombia! Maby you have an idea how can I get it? My regards.Nathalie.
@axellidenbrock Most American orchestration teachers, including myself, are fully aware of this book, and copies are in many conservatory libraries. Unfortunately, there is no English translation yet, and it is very expensive to purchase and import. Think of the practicalities - you are asking why a four-volume, exhaustive treatise is not well read in a country which speaks little French, and to which many shorter books in English are not just available, but assigned at university. That is why.
@tonyvoid All due respect to Prof. Adler, I think it would take a whole separate book to cover the craft of crossover orchestration. I'll be making a series on this soon - have been delaying while awaiting approval on a project which could be incorporated as part of the series.
I understand your point. Thanks for your answer. Translate the Koechlin's would a very big challenge. Surely you know the text of William Lovelock "The elements of orchestral arrangement", recently I made a spanish version. It deserves to be reprinted.
IMSLP does have the Foresyth Orchestration book now it got added in 2011 a year after this video.Added it to a big list of things to read :/
O para decirlo mejor en español. Me parecen excelentes sus videos, una pequeña observación, debería mencionar a Koechlin, aunque no esté en inglés. Es un tratado muy importante que comprende aspectos que no se encuentran en otros tratados. Quizás estimule a la gente de lengua inglesa a buscar el libro en las bibliotecas de los conservatorios. Felicitaciones por su trabajo. Disfruto mucho sus videos y me parece una muy generosa iniciativa.
@gentrytunes Areas of obsolescence: range and construction of instruments; technical limitations; wind key systems, especially as applied to shakes and trills; brass valve and trigger developments; overall viewpoint and philosophy; some notation rules for winds and brass; inclusion of outdated instruments; blind spots for authors in the music of other countries current to first publication; and other details.
If your college book was too basic, get the Adler next. These books are no substitute.
Sorry to but in, but I'd also recommend Stiller's "Handbook of Instrumentation" for a little more in-depth stuff and Behind Bars by Elaine Gould (a very good new book) which will help with idiomatic notation.
@axellidenbrock Gracias por tu comentario. I have great respect and appreciation for the music and musicians of Venezuela. I understand your question - and if I had the time, the skills, and a publisher, I would translate the Koechlin myself. It stands equal to any other orchestration text, and has many unique features. Please understand - we who teach orchestration all know about this book, and we use many of its teachings, even if we are not able to assign it due to the language barrier.
Yes. THANK YOU ! Tomorrow I will be listening and watching. :)
Thank you. Heading to Amzon for "Study of Orchestration" by Adler and "Orchestration" by Piston then.
Aw, man! I bought all these books over the years. I only found your You Tube page today. Oh well, thanks for all you are doing. I look forward to watching your vids and learning a lot. :) I believe I'm a pretty good composer, I just know that my orchestration is not as "good" as it should be. Onward...
Thanks guys! Do you know of any that would be good for piano practice but around this cheap price range? I'm not looking for something super realistic, just something decent.
@NedMcPhie I see the problem - TH-cam changed their text protocols so that the end parentheses are no longer read in a hyperlink...duh! Also, every URL of IMSLP linking to an individual work now ends with an end parenthesis. I've updated the text so that it links to the composer pages (and then you can look up the manuals alphabetically), but this is pretty silly of both TH-cam and IMSLP.
@carloselemesmo I've seen copies for sale on the internet from time to time, sometimes for 30-40 Euros, sometimes 3-4X that much. You have to shop around. If your French is good, since you are studying in France, then you just need to read the university copies there, many many times I would say. Good luck with that, and I hope Dover publishes a translation someday.
As is the Philharmonia Orchestra's Sound Exchange.
@carloselemesmo I don't know it a Portuguese language translation was ever made, but if so I'm sure it is very rare. You can purchase copies in French with no problem, but it will cost a few Euros.
Someday, I would love to update this precious manual myself and translate it into English.
No, it's the 88. I need 88 keys, I don't want to fiddle with an octave button when I'm musically daydreaming.
I wonder if anyone will tackle the subject of electronic or amplified instruments in orchestal arrangements in a future orchestration manuel.
Thank you very much!
Where do you suggest that a complete beginner should start with orchestration? I can play a bit of the keyboard and know some decent theory, but when I tried reading the Sam Adler book, my head was spinning trying to comprehend it all. What are you suggestions regarding a complete beginner such as myself to start out with?
@axellidenbrock
this is amazing you translated it!!!
Have you read _The Technique of Orchestration_ by Kent Kennan? While I am aware that it's not in the public domain, thus not seen in IMSLP, I wonder if this is a could book as well.
It's okay, but Kennan isn't the writer that Piston is, or Adler.
@@OrchestrationOnline Sorry, made a typo. I meant "good", not "could".
How do you find that M-Audio keyboard you have? I'm considering buying the same model, but I'm not sure if I should save up for something with fully weighted keys instead. Is it good to play on?
If i can get Samuel Alders The study of Orchestration 3rd edition,and bearing in mind it takes ages to read a book what would best for my FIRST Orchestration book.Alders one or Walter Pistons Orchestration 1969.I have very basic knowledge of instruments too.Also which one do you think explains it the simplest with best examples.Im trying to slim line this pile of books and prioritize to get the best reading for the time i got.
I do sort of get the thing with the historical perspective. I was just a little sceptical to suddenly find myself reading hundreds of pages with details that may not be that useful today. So you are recommending owning what the composers you mentioned have published on orchestration? Are there other manuals that aren't dated, but I may have to pay a little bit for?
Great!
Cool!
Also sprach Zarathustra opus 30 by Richard Strauss(Y así habló Zarathustra)
Fauré's Requiem.
are there any public domain Orchestration manuals onnline what have been written on english?!?!?
Look. You should start with a contemporary text. That should be your baseline. I've already said, and I say it in the video: Adler or Piston (or both).
Then, when you really really understand what the current thought is on orchestration, look at these older texts. You will be able to sift the irrelevant data, IF you take my advice and have a thorough grounding in what's possible today, FIRST.
Then the rest is easy.
I have read them all. The Rimsky's I found in a paperback edition at a newspaper shop in Grand Central Terminal NY of all places. I think the only instrument R Strauss never scored for is the Alto Flute in G. Berlioz mentions the bass oboe but never used it, that was très stupide !
Where can I find the recording of the narration at 5:44?
Yes - sorry, I misread the question as "9:05."
Are these over 100 year old manuals really this useful as of today? I'm just asking before I start reading. Haven't several instruments been altered/improved or commonly added/removed in orchestral music since then?
For future refrence, Widor's name is pronounced "VEE-door".
ZacPB189 No, goldurnit! It's pernounced VAY-der! As in "Darth!"
OrchestrationOnline With that logic, Mahler would have worn red and black face paint and conducted with a double-tiped baton....
Most of these links aren't working anymore :(
Excuse me, but isn't it Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade?
@gerastiman The old Russian orchestras, I mean! ha ha
This is another video...
17 / 42
I'm sorry, but I don't know what the problem is. None of my videos are blocked, and no one else is reporting problems. Maybe the problem is with your server. Please stop worrying about it, and try again tomorrow.
In all honesty, you'd be better off just getting an actual piano. Depending on how large the city you live in/by, people are always selling uprights rather cheap, sometimes free because they don't want them anymore.
When practicing for piano performance, semi-decent digital keyboards are a gamble because the key weights aren't as 'real' as the real thing, forcing one to practice improperly. Mine as well go for the real thing!